


Angel, Baby

by moondansr



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Incest, M/M, Mpreg, Sibling Incest, Threesome, Threesome - M/M/M, Wincestiel - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-12
Updated: 2013-10-12
Packaged: 2017-12-29 03:48:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 24,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1000509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moondansr/pseuds/moondansr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam witnesses an argument between Castiel and Dean and decides to take Castiel out to comfort him afterwards.  The two of them have a great time and end up having sex.  Later that night when Castiel is at his own apartment Dean drops in to make up with him.  The two of them have sex as well.  About a month and a half later Castiel realizes he's pregnant but who managed to make him that way?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Angel, Baby

**Author's Note:**

> I would like to thank [deanlives](http://deanlives.livejournal.com/44088.html) for the amazing artwork and [verucasalt](http://verucasalt123.livejournal.com/) for being my beta. 
> 
> If you enjoy my work, or even if you don't, please consider clicking on the link below and reading a bit about [verucasalt](http://verucasalt123.livejournal.com/). In addition to what you read there she is currently recovering from a car accident and could use all of the assistance she can get for her return to college. If you can't help, you can always link to her story too and try to help out that way. Thank you for your consideration! - Moondansr
> 
> [Help verucasalt my amazing beta!](http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/back-to-school-for-mom)

 

  
All Art created by DeanLives

***

  
  
“You’re avoiding me!” Cas said evenly and Sam could hear him in the dining room where he was trying to do his homework.  
  
“I’ve just been busy, Cas,” Dean replied.  Sam knew that his brother had a date that night.  It wasn’t because Dean had told him.  It was because Dean was dressed with a little more care that night and he’d put on extra aftershave.  Not to mention the fact that his hair was neatly combed.  He looked, smelled, walked and talked like he was going on a date, with some woman, no doubt.  
  
Sam had not known that Dean had done anything with Castiel.  If his older brother had consulted him first he would have suggested against it.  First, Castiel was an angel, and Dean was a devil in disguise.  Well, not really, not the devil part but with the way he acted he could be and really for Castiel.  He was a real, actual angel.  He had saved Dean when he was twelve years old.  Dean had been running into the street to push Sam out of oncoming traffic.  From the side of the road Sam had seen Castiel grab Dean just as a truck was hitting him, then reappear with Dean right beside Sam.  Cas had healed Dean on the spot, so yeah, Cas was an angel.  
  
There was another reason though much bigger than the first.  Dean could not commit to any relationship.  He was only good for a one night stand, or occasionally a three night stand.  Castiel didn’t strike Sam as the type who was into that at all.  The proof was in the living room now.  
  
“You have not been busy, you have been making excuses not to see me,” Cas said in his deep, steady voice.  It was true, Sam was sure.  It sounded like something Dean would do.  
  
“Look, I really can’t talk about this now.  I have something important to do so…”  
  
“You are going on a date,” Cas interrupted, “probably with a girl.  You are trying to forget you were ever with me.  That is why you don’t want to talk.”  
  
He sounded so sad that it made Sam angry on his behalf.  Wasn’t it enough to break the hearts of girl after girl?  Did Dean really have to do the same thing to a dear friend as well?  
  
“I am not… trying to forget I was with you,” Dean said.  Sam wondered if he had been about to deny the date and realized it was a bad idea.  “I just need some time.”  
  
“I have given you some time Dean.  I have also given you some space.  How much longer do you need?  It’s almost been a month.”  
  
A month?  They had done something a month ago?  Sam shook his head, he had a feeling he wasn’t going to get his homework done.  There was no way he could concentrate on law books while Castiel was suffering.  He set down his pen and walked to the dining room entry looking out at the scene in the living room.  Castiel stood close to the front door as if he might flee at any moment and Dean was all the way across the room.  It was as if Dean had been coming from his bedroom and frozen when he’d seen that Sam had let Cas in.  That was probably exactly what happened.  
  
“Just another day or two, okay?  I’ll call you Cas, I really will.”  
  
The apartment doorbell rang and Castiel turned to stare at the door.  Dean walked over, edging around Cas like he was afraid to touch him.  Cas looked at the ground, frowning as he moved further into the room.  When Dean opened the door a lovely brunette gave him a sparkling smile.  
  
“Hey Cherise,” Dean grinned at her, “thanks for coming over.”  He cast a guilty look back at Cas and then headed out the door all of his attention on the girl at hand.  
  
“I’m sorry Cas,” Sam said, crossing the room and giving the angel a brief hug.  “You want me to talk to him?”  
  
“You should not have to talk to him,” Castiel said, his body stiff.  Sam could feel the knotted muscles just hugging him.  
  
“Yeah, I know but when it comes to relationships Dean is…” Sam shrugged.  Cas should know but he had probably hoped things would be different and who could blame him?  The three of them were friends and you treated friends differently.  At least most people would.  
  
“Yes, I am aware.”  Cas looked at the door.  “Do not speak with him.  This is not something for you to fix.”  
  
Sam nodded, he thought he would feel the same way in Cas’ position.  “Go out with me then?  I mean, you know, let’s have some fun.  There’s no use letting him make you sad all night, right?  We can grab some dinner and maybe catch a movie.  There’s a comedy playing that I’ve heard is hilarious.”  
  
“You have school work.”  
  
He did, and Cas knew how important that was to him.  On the other hand he really wanted to make the angel smile.  It happened so infrequently and he hated to see Cas actually sad, which was what Dean was making him.  “Yeah, but it can wait.”  
  
“You do not have to clean up this mess, Sam.  It isn’t of your making.”  
  
“I know.”  He wasn’t really trying to clean things up exactly.  Usually that would be what this was about but this time it was more about Cas than Dean.  “Look, you’re important to me, aside from Dean.  Cas, I want to see you happy much more than I want to do my homework tonight.  There’ll be time to do it later.  This is about you, not Dean, so go out with me.”  
  
Slowly Castiel nodded his head, looking at Sam with a mild smile.  “Alright.”  
  
* Sam *  
  
Castiel felt a deep desire to spend time with Sam after he said his piece.  It was almost frightening how badly he wanted the company, to bask in Sam’s feelings for him, the deep caring.  Sam was not at all like Dean.  He allowed himself to feel and recognized the feelings for what they were.  It was nice to be around that for a while.  
  
Sam took him to a mexican restaurant where they shared a huge margarita and ordered delicious food.  Strictly speaking Castiel did not need to eat, but his vessel didn’t suffer from the activity and he’d lived among humans long enough that he had adapted to the habit.  After saving Dean he hadn’t been able to stand the thought of leaving, so he’d taken an apartment nearby and stayed.  
  
The vessel he was using had aged with the boys.  It was right between their ages and Castiel had aged it himself, carefully.  When the soul sharing the vessel wanted to move on to Heaven Castiel had granted its desire and now he was the sole occupant of the vessel.  He could do what he wanted with it.  Once in awhile he went to Heaven to see the original owner who was truly happy with his choice.  
  
Growing up with Dean and Sam the last twelve years had been a fantastic experience, better than anything he’d ever done as an angel.  He did not regret the things he’d given up in Heaven or the angelic status he had lost by staying with them.  He suspected he had loved Dean the moment he’d set eyes on him.  It had taken a bit longer to appreciate Sam.  
  
“Cas?  You with me?” Sam asked, breaking into his thoughts.  
  
“Yes, I am right here.” Castiel said.  
  
“Good, try to stick around, okay?”  Sam laughed, “We should go if you want to make the next showing of that comedy.”  
  
Castiel nodded agreement and the two of them left the restaurant.  It was sort of sad to exit the cheery atmosphere.  The place was a favorite for all three of them, Dean liked their fried foods, Sam enjoyed the variety of healthier options on the menu and Cas loved it when both of the brothers were happy.  
  
“You’re smiling, but your eyes look sad,” Sam said, reaching out to squeeze his arm.  
  
“This place has many good memories for me,” Castiel said, meeting Sam’s eyes, “and now it has one more.”  
  
Sam’s mouth twisted into a smile and he shook his head.  “I believe you just dodged my hidden question.  You’re getting better at that.”  
  
“Thank you.”  Sam didn’t harass him about what had made him sad which was good.  He was trying not to think about Dean too much and discussing him wouldn’t have helped.  
  
It was a Wednesday so the theater wasn’t very busy.  They had their pick of seats.  Sam liked to sit back and to the middle of the theater.  Since he didn’t mind either way, Castiel was happy to sit where Sam liked to be.  The movie had Castiel laughing almost as much as Sam.  He’d come to appreciate human humor; at least the kind that was not unkind to others, and the movie was of that type.  Near the end Castiel was laughing so hard that he bumped into Sam and for the rest of the movie their shoulders pressed together.  
  
Castiel thought several times that he should move away but it was comfortable and warm to lean against Sam.  He needed to be careful though and he knew it.  Sam was not the type to take a relationship lightly.  Did he really want to get involved with Sam when he was still so torn up over Dean?  
  
The two of them left the theater talking about the best parts of the movie and holding hands.  It felt so good.  Castiel didn’t want to stop things but he couldn’t let it go too far either.  “Sam, we should probably not do this,” he said looking at their hands.  
  
Sam nodded, “Yeah, I know.  You’ve always had a thing for Dean.”  
  
“It is that obvious?”  
  
“No one could miss it, seeing you together as much as I have.  I even think Dean has feelings for you, he just,” Sam shook his head, “Dean can be so stupid.  If you liked me the way you like him, I would never screw with you.  I didn’t know the two of you had… you had sex with him, didn’t you?”  
  
“Yes.” Castiel said.  He thought it would be best to have it in the open so that Sam wouldn’t think it might not be true.  
  
“Now he’s avoiding you.  That’s so Dean.”  Sam fell silent and looked at their clasped hands.  “If you tell me to stop, I will.”  
  
“I cannot commit to you right now.  Dean is still taking up the majority of my mind.”  
  
“He’s my brother, so I shouldn’t say this but he won’t treat you the way you deserve to be treated.  I’d like to offer an alternative, you know?  I guess it’s wrong but I’m willing to wait while you work things out.  I’ll back off too, if you say you want me to.  I know you love Dean.  I do.  If you choose him, fine.  I’m not asking you to commit to me or anything but maybe we could just do what feels right tonight and see where that takes us,” Sam said.  
  
Castiel thought he understood what Sam was feeling.  The night had been a good one and there was a part of him that wanted to enjoy the moment, just follow the night to whatever end came.  Could he do that and not hate himself for it?  He squeezed Sam’s hand.  “I liked the little girl.  She was a good actress.”  
  
Sam agreed and they went back to walking together, enjoying the night air.  An hour later they were back at the apartment, drinking hot coffee and talking about all sorts of things.  The two of them had a lot of memories together and actually shared a couple of interests.  Castiel found law fascinating and Sam was studying to be a lawyer.  Sam found religion fascinating and Castiel was an angel.  Forty-five minutes into that they had somehow ended up on the couch making out.  
  
Lips, tongues and hands everywhere.  Castiel slipped his hands under Sam’s shirt and took it off.  He remembered starting that part of things.  After that Sam took over, stripping them both, and holding Castiel so tenderly that it almost hurt.  As he met Sam’s hazel eyes he knew he wasn’t going to ask Sam to stop.  It felt so good when Sam entered him, and the slow pace Sam set to their lovemaking was madening.  Castiel gripped at Sam’s arms desperately feeling his desire rise further and further.  Their emotions swirled together like tangible things.  Castiel loved it.  
  
Afterwards as Sam held him and Cas breathed in his scent, there was no way to keep his mind from wandering off into comparing the two brothers.  Sex with Dean had been frantic and passionate, which was amazing.  It was hard to say which experience topped the other.  He loved them both which ultimately led him to feeling guilty and he couldn’t let Dean walk in to find him with Sam, could he?  
  
“I should go,” Castiel said.  
  
“Are you feeling guilty?”  
  
“No, I just think it would be best.  Don’t you?”  Both of the brothers lied sometimes.  It seemed to be necessary.  Castiel had rarely agreed but this time he thought perhaps he understood why they kept thinking that it was.  
  
“Yeah, okay.  I won’t mess things up for you with Dean, I guess.”  Sam kissed him several times before he let him go though and Castiel went home feeling very guilty.  What had he done?  As good as it had felt he knew that he shouldn’t have.  
  
* Dean *  
  
Dean left Cherise’s place at quarter to three.  He drove his black Impala around the city for nearly half an hour before pulling into Castiel’s apartment complex parking lot, and pulling into a free spot.  Who was he trying to fool?  He couldn’t stop thinking of Cas.  That single night had been just… fantastic and it wasn’t just the sex.  There was something else.  
  
He opened the car door to let the chilled night air in hoping it would cool him off but the heat wasn’t outside of him.  When he thought of Cas, of what they had shared, it was like he was on fire.  Who would willingly walk into those flames?  That would be foolish, wouldn’t it?  
  
Popping the trunk he got out of the car and went to the back.  There was a six of beer there and he pulled one out, popped off the top and started drinking.  Yeah, that helped, it soothed him a bit.  Nothing changed the fact that he was standing in the parking lot to Cas’ place drinking a beer though.  Did he want to see the angel?  
  
No, it wasn’t that, not exactly.  Still, he kept coming back to this, lurking on the edges of Cas’ life like a stalker.  Something told him it wasn’t going to stop either.  The more he tried to move on from what they’d done the more he circled back.  Maybe talking to Cas was the only way to make it stop, to come to terms with what they had done and what it meant.  What did it mean?  
  
Dean wasn’t sure.  Cas meant so much to him.  It was hard to stay away from him, hard to be around him too, now.  He took a deep breath, let it out slowly and then drank more.  None of his usual techniques were working, because Cas was Cas and he didn’t really want to be away from him but being near him brought everything back; the feelings, the desire, the need.    
  
When Cas was near he didn’t want to be away from him, ever.  That was the real problem.  He couldn’t have another person like that, who he didn’t want to be separated from ever.  Wasn’t it enough that he was still living with his brother, because he couldn’t stand to let him go?  Besides, with Cas there was the romantic element mixed in.  He didn’t need that, but, in fact, maybe he did?  It was sure looking that way.    
  
Dean counted the windows until he found the one that belonged to Cas.  He could have just looked for the one with the light on in it.  All of the other windows were dark.  What was Cas doing?  He might be reading, or writing in his diary.  He might be working on some crazy elaborate project.  He loved to get involved in crazy things.  There might be someone he was trying to help.  Cas liked to help people in all sorts of ways.  
  
Smiling, Dean shook his head.  Why was he doing this to himself?  All he needed to do was call.  Cas would answer.  When he was home Cas always answered the phone.  Dean had been doing this every night for over three weeks, ever since the night they’d had sex.  This time he did something different though.  He actually called.  The sound of a ring, and another, and another kept his attention.  Cas usually answered right away.  Maybe this time Cas wouldn’t answer.  He could somehow know it was Dean and not want to talk to him anymore.  Dean knew he would deserve that and he was about to hang up when Cas answered.  
  
“Hello?”  
  
“Hey Cas, it’s Dean.”  There was silence at the other end.  It went on long enough that Dean felt the need to fill it.  “I wanted to apologize for, um, tonight.”  
  
“You are not really sorry.”  Cas said.  Dean winced.  He could hear the accusation in those words and he knew why Cas said them.  The date with Cherise.  He could have called it off but instead he just went.  Sometimes he didn’t even understand himself.  Things with women were so simple though.  He could have some fun and move on.  He never pretended to be someone who stuck around and generally it all worked out.  
  
“I’m sorry that I’m hurting you, does that count for something?”  
  
Cas greeted his words with another long silence but somehow Dean weathered it.  “What do you want, Dean?”  
  
“I want to talk, I think we have to, you know?  So, can I come up?”  Dean swallowed loudly.  He was pretty sure Cas heard it along with his heart which was beating in his ears.  What was it about the angel that shook him to the core, turning his emotions every which way?  
  
“I don’t know, it’s late,” Cas said.  
  
“You don’t even sleep.”  Why was Cas trying to get rid of him?  Was it too late?  Had he screwed the whole thing up in a single night?  That would be about right actually.  Even though he was still unsure what he wanted he knew he didn’t want to loose Cas completely.  “Come on Cas, please?”  
  
“I will buzz you in.”  
  
Dean finished off his beer and went to the door.  This had to be a good sign.  He could just explain things and then Cas might forgive him.  If Cas could just be around him again… but wasn’t he the one who had been doing the avoiding?  Yes, Dean knew he was but now he wanted to be near Cas again and he had to know things between them were okay somehow.  
  
He took most of the stairs two at a time he was in such a hurry.  He’d just seen Cas about eight hours before but the argument had not counted.  It wasn’t an upset, unhappy Cas he was looking for.  He wanted Cas, the calm version then maybe a bit of the happy version too.  
  
Cas opened his apartment door before Dean knocked.  “The neighbors will think there is something wrong Dean, you’re noisy.”  
  
“Sorry,” he wasn’t sorry.  He was happy to see Cas though and Cas seemed better somehow than he had earlier, a bit more relaxed maybe.  On the other hand it was hard to ignore the frowning and the crossed arms.  “I, uh, just really wanted to see you.”  
  
Cas’ lips softened, “I am glad to see you too.  I did not think we would talk again this soon.”  
  
“Yeah,” Dean looked at the ground, then back up.  “I want to make things right between us.”  
  
“What would right be to you?”  Castiel was watching him closely as he asked.  
  
“I don’t know.  I miss you but I don’t know how to deal with what we did.  I’ve never done… that with someone I cared about as much as I care about you.”  With effort, Dean met his eyes.  Blue, dark yet bright somehow, Cas had beautiful eyes.  
  
“You told me that.”  Cas came closer and touched Dean’s face.  “Does that make it bad?”  
  
“No, it’s just hard.  I want to be close to you but I don’t.  When we’re together I want to do everything all over again, I want you like crazy right now.”  It was hard not to just lean in and kiss Cas, but if he did that what would he understand?  Nothing.  They would be right back here in another month doing this all over again.  If Cas would even buzz him into the complex again and let him through the apartment door.  
  
“I want you too Dean.”  
  
“If we had sex again though it wouldn’t fix anything.  I just… I don’t know how to deal with this.  Maybe we shouldn’t have even started it.”  
  
“I’m not sorry we did.”  Cas’ eyes were still on Dean’s and Dean thought he might go crazy if their lips didn’t meet in the next five seconds.  He didn’t even decide to kiss Cas before he was doing it.  
  
Yeah, that was what he wanted, what he really needed.  Cas’ lips were warm and firm, they felt so right.  Cas’ tongue was hot and slick and it felt perfect when it slid against Dean’s.  Cas’ body was hard in all the right places and Dean ran his hands over it as they pressed together.  
  
When Dean pulled away it was to moan, “Cas,” and then to kiss him again, pressing him against the wall near the door.  He had been with Cherise not long before but that had only taken the edge off and everything it had done for him was gone.  His whole body wanted, needed Cas.  There was something wrong with him.  How could he have become so attached when he’d never been attached to a sexual partner even once before?  
  
“I’m sorry Cas, I really am so sorry for staying away.  I need you I just, I know I’ll do this wrong, I know I’ll let you down.  Maybe I shouldn’t have come,” he said this as if he might leave but he was picking Cas up as he spoke.  He carried him to the bedroom and pressed him onto the bed as Cas replied.  
  
“No, I’m glad you’re here,” Cas said and the two of them didn’t talk anymore.  They were far too busy kissing and tearing clothing off of one another to talk.  Talk had no place in the wild feeling of their bodies coming together fast and hard.  Dean wasn’t sure if the sex lasted hours or minutes, it was both fulfilling and over far too fast.  First Dean was pressing into Cas while he was on his back, then Cas was somehow sitting on top of Dean controlling things and in the end Dean had Cas on his knees, finally able to pump into him hard enough, fast enough, deep enough to make them both scream and come.  They were covered in sweat and Dean was fully exhausted as they collapsed into the seldom used bed, remaining there for what was left of the night.

  
  
* Week 6 *  
  
It had begun with general fatigue and been followed by almost constant nausea.  At first Castiel thought there must be an angel flu he’d never heard of before but angels didn’t get sick and he knew it.  He had then thought perhaps his vessel was sick, that was also impossible, of course.  After a full week of reading and checking all of the sources he felt were safe, Cas learned about a trance he could put himself into that would allow him to more closely examine his vessel and see the source of the issue.  
  
He sat on the floor in his living room, trying to find full calm while being nauseous.  It was night, when the nausea was at it’s lowest.  In the morning he hadn’t been able to focus at all.  Castiel took another deep breath and let it out slowly trying to allow the discomfort to float away, disappear.  It wasn’t perfect, but he decided things wouldn’t get any better so he pushed, pushed away from his vessel to look down at it.  That should have been easy.  Instead Cas found that he could barely get out and was tightly constrained.  
  
Frightened he scrambled to move further away but his tie to the body was too short and too strong.  When had that happened?  With effort Castiel went back to calm, he had to be calm.  Finally he managed it, or something close, and looked down at the vessel.  He began exploring and… impossible.  His vessel, his male vessel, was pregnant.  The instant he knew he snapped back in, unable to maintain the distance with the amount of fear that he was feeling.  He couldn’t be pregnant.  He was male!  
  
Well, he wasn’t male but his vessel was and with a male vessel why would he become pregnant?  He knew the answer though, even if he didn’t want to accept it.  Pregnancy was a difficult thing for an angel to achieve since there were many rules surrounding it.  Nonetheless, it was achieved at the spiritual level, not the physical one, which meant Sam and Dean were…  Castiel moaned.  He had no idea what he should do and a part of him wanted to crawl under his bed and hide there.  That wouldn’t really get him anywhere, so he got up from the floor and moved to Sam and Dean’s.  
  
There was a place fully hidden behind the brother’s apartment that Cas used as a landing zone so he didn’t have to ride or walk there.  He had many such landing zones around town.  He left the bushes and walked to the door, ringing the bell.  Sam was the one who let him in.  The two of them hadn’t really talked about the single night they’d spent together, though they’d gone out a couple more times.  Dean wasn’t aware of what had happened.  
  
“Hey Cas, come on in.  Dean’s watching the game.”  Castiel came into the room and looked at Dean.  Dean had been around several times to hang out or have sex.  They hadn’t really defined what they were doing or what it meant yet.  
  
“I forgot there was a game.”  The room smelled of beer and bbq sauce.  They had probably been eating wings earlier.  Cas’ stomach sloshed and sent generally unpleasant messages to him.  Saliva filled his mouth and he swallowed quickly.  
  
“You want a beer?” Sam asked.  
  
“No Sam!” Castiel said with more force than was necessary.  Unfortunately it was out before he could reign it in.  
  
“Okay,” Sam put his hands up and his eyes ran over Castiel more closely, “You don’t look like you’re feeling very well.  I thought angels didn’t get sick.”  
  
“We don’t,” Castiel said.  
  
“Hey, guys, why don’t you come watch the game and stop talking.”  Dean looked up, “It’s just getting good.”  
  
Cas looked over and debated whether or not he could do it.  The game was important to Dean.  Sam would enjoy it too.  He tried to imagine sitting there with the smell of bbq sauce and the buzz of the tv trying to look like he was having fun and not to throw up.  Castiel didn’t remember ever crying before but suddenly he was, “I can’t,” he said looking at Sam, “I just can’t.”  
  
“Uh, Dean, I think you’d better turn the tv off,” Sam suggested, putting an arm around Cas and patting his back.  
  
Dean looked over, frowned and turned the tv off.  “What’s wrong with Cas?”  
  
Sam shrugged, “You okay Cas, what can we do for you?  What do you need?”  
  
“I don’t know.  It smells like bbq sauce, I’m going to throw up.”  
  
“You don’t throw up,” Dean said.  
  
“I do now.”  
  
“Okay,” Sam said, guiding Cas further in.  They went to Sam’s room and Sam had him sit down on a chair.  “Close the door and open the window, Dean.”  
  
“Sure,” Dean followed the advice as Castiel wiped at the tears, trying to stop crying.  
  
“I don’t know why I’m so upset,” Cas said, feeling absolutely miserable.  “I am ruining your night.”  
  
“You aren’t ruining our night,” Sam said, “it’s not a big deal, just relax.”  
  
“Yeah, there are games all the time this time of year,” Dean agreed, “you’re more important.”  
  
“Thank you,” Castiel said, sniffling.  Sam offered him a box of tissues.  He wasn’t sure where Sam had gotten them from.  Once Cas had things a bit more under control Sam leaned forward.  
  
“So, why don’t you tell us what’s going on.”  
  
“I’m pregnant,” Castiel said.  He couldn’t think of any other way to say it.  
  
Dean started laughing.  He laughed for a full minute before he said, “No, what’s really going on?”  
  
“I’m pregnant.”  
  
“Cas, that seems pretty unlikely.  I mean your vessel is male.”  Sam said.  Leave it to Sam to bring reason into the whole thing.  Cas wondered, if it was just Dean, how long the two of them would have gone back and forth saying the same thing over and over again.  
  
“Yes, but angels do not have a gender, angel babies are made when spirits join together in just the right way at just the right time.”  Cas said.  
  
“Wait, you’re serious?” Dean asked.  
  
Cas nodded, “I didn’t believe it at first, but when the symptoms got to me and I figured out how to check into things I saw… it.  There is a tiny baby inside of this body.  The fatigue is probably partly due to the changes in the body to accommodate it.”  
  
“That’s just…” Dean shook his head, “I can’t…” more head shaking.  He stood up and paced the room.  He sat down on the bed.  
  
“Any idea whose it is?”  Sam asked gently.  
  
Castiel swallowed a wave of nausea.  This part he really, really didn’t want to talk about.  How was he supposed to explain to Dean, to Sam, to either one of them who the baby belonged to?  “It’s complicated.”  
  
“It’s complicated?”  Dean stared at him, “It has to be mine right?  I’m the only one you’ve had sex with.”  
  
Castiel stared back, unable to confirm the words and not willing to deny them even though he knew he had to do one or the other.  
  
“You and Cas have been pretty on again off again Dean.”  Sam said.  
  
“Yeah but Cas isn’t the type to just…”  It seemed to sink into Dean’s head at that point that Cas had not agreed Dean was the only one he’d had sex with.  He shook his head, eyes back to Castiel’s.  “Who was he?  Did he hurt you?”  Then he looked at Sam, “Did you know about this?”  
  
Castiel spoke as it was looking like Sam was about to lose his temper with Dean.  “No, he was very kind and not the type to hurt me at all.”  
  
“Great, that’s just great,” Dean got up and started pacing.  “So he’s what?  Is he… better than me?  Would you rather be with him?”  
  
“It isn’t like that,” Castiel stood and went to Dean, putting a hand on his arm.  “Dean, please don’t do this.”  
  
“Don’t do this?”  Dean faced him, gripping both arms strongly.  “I think I have a right to know if there’s someone other than me in your life.  How long has this been going on?  Do you love him?”  
  
There was a madness and a possessiveness in Dean that Cas had never seen before.  Evidently Dean was more likely to commit with competition.  It struck Cas as a little bit crazy.  “You are hurting me Dean.”  
  
Dean looked down at his fingers gripping Cas’ arms and Cas did too.  It was surprising that it hurt, but it really did.  He was so much more in tune with his vessel than he ever had been in the past.  “Sorry,” Dean said, letting go.  Then he turned away and walked to the window.  Once he was there he turned back and his eyes were troubled, sad.  “Do you?”  
  
“I… love you both,” Cas said softly and he heard Sam take in a quick breath.  Right, Sam was right there, listening.  Castiel turned to look at him.  
  
“Could you tell how far along it was?” Sam asked.  
  
“It is about the size of a pea,” Castiel said, “just starting to form truly human features.  Perhaps we could look it up.”  
  
“You should see a doctor,” Sam said.  
  
Castiel laughed briefly, “No way Sam, we’ll have to do this without.”  
  
“Let me get the laptop.  We’ll see what there is online,” Sam started to leave but Dean, who had been staring at the two of them silently stopped him.  
  
“No, wait.”  His attention was mostly on his brother now and Cas had a bad feeling about that.  “You know all about this other guy, don’t you Sammy?”  
  
“Well, yeah,” Sam shifted, letting go of the door and turning to face Dean, “So?”  
  
“So why didn’t you tell me?  Why keep it a secret with Cas?”  
  
“I think you know that, Dean.”  Sam stood a bit taller and in that pose he towered over Dean.  Usually Dean, though shorter, seemed bigger somehow but not in that moment.  
  
“Tell me.”  
  
Cas looked down at his hands.  How was this ever going to work?  Should he tell them everything, about how the baby was conceived, about what such a baby was likely to be like?  He didn’t even know everything though, since such children were considered abominations by angels.  
  
“It was me, the night you had the argument with Cas in the living room and left with that girl, we went out and things happened.”  
  
“That night?”  Dean looked at Cas then, Cas could feel it more than see it since he was still looking down.  
  
He had to do something to keep the brothers from fighting but what could he do?  “Yes,” Cas said, “that night.”  
  
“You’ve been… seeing each other since then?  Behind my back?”  
  
“We’ve gone out here and there,” Sam said.  “Cas has been waiting to see if you would man up or not and I haven’t pressed him to make any sort of choice.”  
  
Dean shook his head, huffing.  “So this baby is mine or yours because of one night.”  
  
“Yeah, I guess we’ll just have to share.  It isn’t like we don’t share most other things.”  Sam opened the door, “I’m getting the laptop.”  
  
Then he was out of the room and Castiel was alone with Dean.  “My brother, Cas?  Really?”  
  
Castiel shrugged, “Would it be better if it was a stranger?”  
  
“Yes!” Dean paused, “No.”  He shook his head, “Maybe.”  
  
Cas smiled slightly and finally met his eyes again.  “I am sorry Dean, I do not know what to do about this either but I am so tired.”  
  
“Have you been sleeping?”  
  
“Angels don’t… no, I have not tried that.  I’m not sure how.”  Castiel had noticed that he’d been more hungry lately and his body was producing waste.  Perhaps Dean was right and he needed to sleep.  
  
“You just get in bed and close your eyes, then relax.  It’s pretty easy if you’re really tired.  Try it, okay?”  
  
“Sure.”  
  
Then Sam came in with the laptop and the three of them started talking research.  Overall Cas was glad he’d gone over and told them, even though he hadn’t told them everything.  
  
* Week 7 *  
  
Castiel had told Dean he was pregnant a week before and Dean still wasn’t sure he believed it.  If the internet research had been right Cas was about seven weeks pregnant.  Seven weeks, and the baby might be Dean’s.  Those were the facts Dean’s mind reviewed over and over all day while he worked on cars at the shop.  He’d been a mechanic pretty much since graduating from high school.  The job came easily to him since he’d worked on cars at his Uncle Bobby’s pretty much as long as he could remember.  
  
Every morning he called Cas to see how he was doing.  At lunch time he called again and in the afternoon he stopped by to see if Cas needed anything.  The angel went from happy to sad at the blink of an eye, he’d started to sleep but he was still tired a lot of the time.  As if all of that wasn’t bad enough, Sam kept showing up.  His brother brought fucking flowers, rubbed Cas’ feet, and gave him prenatal vitamins.  
  
He hated seeing Sam there all the time, knowing that Sam wanted Cas and for at least a night Cas had wanted Sam.  Worse, that baby might be Sam’s.  Sammy’s.  Sammy’s baby and not Dean’s.  That shouldn’t bother him because what did he want with a child?  Sam was going to be a lawyer, he could afford Cas and a baby much more easily than Dean could.  It still pissed him off, competing with his brother.  
  
His phone buzzed and he looked at the time.  Yeah, it was time to stop.  First Dean finished a few details on the car he’d been fixing, then he headed for the Impala.  He planned to stop home, shower, change and head to Cas’.  If he was lucky Sam wouldn’t be there.  Half way home his cell rang.  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
“Dean, this is Cas,” Castiel said, “I need shortbread.”  
  
“Shortbread?”  Dean asked.  This had started more recently.  Cas would get these urges and since he was nauseous so much of the time the urges were sort of a blessing.  Whatever he was craving would generally also not make him sick.  “Okay, I’ll stop on my way to your place and grab some.”  
  
“Do not get the generic kind.  It tastes like cookies.”  
  
“Right, no generic.”  Dean didn’t know much about shortbread but he figured it couldn’t be that hard to figure out.  He just got the most expensive box there and headed to Cas.  By the time he was at Cas’ place, the angel was asleep on the couch.  
  
“Hey Cas,” Dean said, placing a gentle hand on the other man’s shoulder and rubbing it a bit.  
  
“Hm,” Cas opened his eyes and blinked at Dean.  “Hey, you smell like soap.”  
  
“Is that bad?”  Any smell might be.  Castiel was ridiculously sensitive to scents now and what was okay one day wasn’t always safe the next.  
  
“No, it’s fine.”  
  
“Good.  Look, I brought you some shortbread.”  Dean handed the package over and Castiel stared at it.  
  
“Thank you, Dean but this is not real shortbread.”  
  
Dean frowned.  The package said shortbread.  “No?”  
  
“No, I’m sorry, I just really want the real thing, you know?”  
  
“Sure, that’s fine,” Actually it really sucked, but Dean would go back.  It wasn’t that big of a deal.  He could handle another trip to the store.  “I’ll just go back.”  He didn’t want to but Cas was fragile these days and he didn’t want to do anything that could be misconstrued as uncaring, especially with Sam showing up all the time.  He took the shortbread back and gave Cas a quick kiss.  “I won’t be long.”  
  
He rushed to the grocery store and bought every other package in it that said shortbread.  One of them had to be right.  The woman at the register gave him a strange look and he smiled, “Pregnant girlfriend,” he said and she seemed relieved by the explanation.  She said something about him being both hot and sweet.  Normally he would have taken the opportunity to flirt but lately he hadn’t been in the mood.  Instead he just thanked her and took the bags.  
  
As soon as Dean got back to the apartment his mood went down.  There was a very familiar Toyota Prius parked in the spot he’d vacated.  Sam.  He was hating that damn burnt orange car more every time he saw it.  
  
Frowning he headed back into the apartment and up to Cas’ apartment.  Sam opened the door for him.    
  
“Saw you heading in,” Sam said.  “Cas said you went for shortbread.”  He looked at the two bags, raising his eyebrows and Dean shrugged.  
  
“I wanted to get the right kind.”  
  
“So, what, you bought every one?  How many containers did you get?”  
  
“I skipped the sugar free and the pie crust,” Dean went over to Cas.  “Here you are, pick the one you want.”  
  
Castiel went through the bags.  “There are twenty one containers,” he said, having set most of them to the side.  There were two remaining, one was large plastic wrapped triangles.  “I do not know why they added nuts,” he said staring at that one.  “It shouldn’t have nuts.”  The other said genuine shortbread on the label.  He opened that one and ate a few bites of a cookie then set it down.  
  
“What’s wrong?” Dean asked.  
  
“It is not right.  I do not think I should consume it since it is disappointing.”  
  
Dean picked up the cookie and ate it.  It was sort of plain, but pretty good.  “You sure Cas?  There aren’t anymore types around here.”  
  
Castiel sighed and set the cookies aside.  
  
“What are you going to do with all those cookies?” Sam asked.  
  
“I don’t know, put them in the cupboard,” Dean picked some packages up and took them to the kitchen.  It had already been a long day and now it was getting longer.  
  
He heard Castiel and Sam discussing something in the other room and when he returned Sam was browsing internet recipes.  
  
“Really?  What are you going to do if you find the right recipe Sammy?”  Dean asked.  Sam burnt anything he tried to bake, probably because he didn’t even really like deserts or breads much.  
  
“I can cook.”  Sam eyed him, “I just have to keep my mind on the task at hand.”  
  
Dean shook his head.  “Don’t let him do it Cas.  Your whole place’ll stink for at least a week.”  
  
“That was one time, Dean,” Sam’s voice raised.  
  
Dean laughed, “It was enough for me.”  
  
“Will you bake them for me then?”  Castiel asked, “If we can find the recipe.”  
  
A part of him felt like making Sam bake them just so Cas could see how bad that would be.  That would not improve Cas’ opinion of him though.  “Sure Cas, I’ll bake them for you.”  
  
* Week 8 *  
  
Sam arrived at Castiel’s apartment and let himself in.  Castiel had given keys to both him and Dean when they had found out he was pregnant.  He thought it would be good for them to be able to get to him easily if there was an emergency.  A lot had changed over the last couple weeks.  Sam had never really thought of Cas as vulnerable, now he did.  The angel was having a really hard time adapting to his new situation.  
  
Men didn’t expect to suddenly be pregnant, and since angels had a hard time getting that way, it made sense for Cas to be confused, but this was more than that.  The changes in his body were producing crazy things and Sam had noticed Cas steadily sinking into deep emotions.  Humans dealt with that sort of thing a lot, especially growing up but Castiel hadn’t seemed to.  His hormones never got the best of him, at least not that Sam had ever seen.  
  
It was different now.  Sam stepped into the living room looking around.  “Cas?”  He moved to the kitchen and then the bedroom.  “Cas?”  Had Cas gone out?  He began to worry and then he finally got a reply.  
  
“I am in the bathroom.  I will be out… soon.”  
  
That was another thing, Cas had never, ever used a bathroom before to his memory.  Now that he was pregnant he seemed to use them a lot.  When Sam thought about it the whole thing had to be really difficult, all of the changes, all of a sudden.  
  
“Take your time Cas, I’ll be in the living room.”  Sam went to the couch and sat down.  He tried not to think of the mystery surrounding the baby’s parentage but it often rose in his mind.  It didn’t really matter, that was how he tried to look at things.  Whether the baby was Dean’s or the baby was his, Cas needed their support right now.  He did want to know, of course a part of him did.  Pressuring Cas on the topic wasn’t something he could do though.  When Cas wanted to tell them, he would.  
  
Castiel finally emerged and came over to slump on the couch.  
  
“You okay?”  
  
“I believe I need to consume more fiber,” Castiel said frowning.  
  
“I brought you that cereal the other day.  Did it help?”  
  
“I cannot eat it.  It tastes terrible,” Castiel looked at him.  “I’m sorry.”  
  
Sam shrugged, Dean told him stuff he ate tasted horrible all the time.  “You could add some fruit or even sugar if it helps.  I mean it’s not the best, but it’s better than not eating it at all.  What about vegetables?  Have you been eating those?”  
  
“I am tired of them.”  Castiel looked over at him, “I’ll eat some.  Will you get them for me?”  
  
“Sure.”  Sam got up and went to the refrigerator.  When he opened it he saw nothing he’d brought three days before was gone except for a couple of carrots and a celery stick.  “Do you like salads?”  He probably should have realized that Cas wouldn’t know how to cook.  “Or, stir-fry, I know I’ve seen you eat stir-fry.”  
  
“It’s too much trouble.  You don’t have to cook for me,” Cas said.  “It’s a waste of your time.  You should work on school work.”  
  
Actually Sam had dropped a couple classes so he would have more time for Cas and not compromise his grades in the process.  “Don’t worry about that.  School is under control.”  He started chopping the vegetables and got some chicken out of the freezer.  It didn’t look like Cas was using the food he’d put there either.  
  
The door opened and Dean came in.  Sam and Dean had always lived together, from the brief time with their mother, to a childhood with their Uncle Bobby, and even into adulthood as Dean had moved with Sam when he went to college.  The two of them had never been as distant as they were now.  Dean didn’t want to talk to him about what had happened with Cas, and only got angry when Sam tried to straighten things out.  
  
Another example of how bad things were, was the way Dean didn’t even greet him or give him a faint smile when he passed the kitchen.  “Hey Cas,” Dean said, “How are you feeling?”  
  
Sam frowned and went back to making food.  Dean still lived in the apartment with him but they did everything separately now with the exception of visiting Cas.  He didn’t hear Cas answer Dean at all.  
  
“Cas?” Dean asked and a little more time passed.  Finally Dean went over to the kitchen.  
  
“Hi Dean,” Sam said, looking at his brother who avoided his gaze and his greeting.  
  
“What’s wrong with Cas?”  
  
“I know about as much as you do,” Sam said.  He stopped looking at Dean because Dean kept avoiding his eyes.  It made him sad.  He’d always loved Dean and he didn’t want to lose the closeness they’d always had.  
  
“You’ve been here longer.  What happened before I got here?”  
  
Sam shrugged, it would have been different if they were really talking but with the way things had been lately it felt like an accusation.  “He said he needed more fiber.”  
  
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”  
  
Then Castiel was suddenly standing in the kitchen between them.  “Do not fight.”  
  
He sounded angry.  Sam frowned and turned away, pulling out a wok to heat on the stove and adding some oil.  He didn’t want to fight.  Dean just kept baiting him.  
  
“We weren’t fighting,” Dean said, “we were just talking.  I worry about you when you won’t answer me.”  He reached out to touch Cas and Sam saw Cas flinch away.  
  
“I don’t want to be touched.”  Then Cas looked at Sam, “I don’t want to be cooked for.  I don’t want to be worried about or talked about, I don’t want any of this.  Why can’t everything just be normal again?”  Then he started crying.  
  
“Hey,” Sam reached out to touch Cas’ arm and remembered how he’d reacted to Dean.  His hand fell without making it to Cas.  “It’s going to be.  You just need to give it a little time.”  
  
“No,” Castiel rubbed at the tears.  “I don’t want to give it time.  I want this all to end I want this baby to go away and my body to be normal again and you two to start getting along like you used to.  I hate this!  I wish I’d never had sex at all, ever.”  Then he disappeared.  
  
“Where is he?” Dean asked, looking around as if Cas could still be in the room.  “Where did he go?”  He left the kitchen, looking in all of the rooms.  
  
“I don’t think he’s in the apartment,” Sam trailed after Dean.  Cas was just going through another mood swing no doubt.  He would feel better given a little time.  It did worry him that Cas had left though.  That behavior was new.  
  
“He has to be.”  Then when it was clear Cas wasn’t there Dean amended.  “We have to find him.”  
  
Sam raised his eyebrows, “Where do you intend to look?”  
  
“I don’t know somewhere, anywhere.”  Dean looked at him, “How can you just stand there?  He might do something to hurt the baby, or even himself!”  
  
“Calm down Dean.  It’s probably just the hormones.  He’ll realize that he didn’t mean all that soon enough.”  
  
“Or maybe he did.  If you had just kept your dick in your pants we wouldn’t be going through all of this!”  Dean said.  
  
“It’s all my fault?  Because what?  Your dick could never have been the one responsible for our situation?”  Sam knew he should stay calm but of all the times for Dean to want to talk about things it would be while Cas was missing.  
  
“If it had only been me then there would be no question about who was the father.”  
  
“Yeah, because you would make such a stellar partner and father, right?  You just can’t stand the fact that I stepped in while you were making a mess of things.”  Sam shook the wooden spoon in his hand at Dean, “You’re lucky I stepped in, because if it hadn’t been me who knows what sort of mess Cas would be in.  You can’t expect him to wait on you forever, you know?  He doesn’t deserve to have to either.”  
  
“Get along,” Cas said from nearby.  
  
Both brothers turned to look at him.  
  
“Cas!” they said at the same time.  
  
Dean rushed over and Sam stood watching him.  He always held back for Dean and he should have done the same thing when it came to Cas too.  He knew that but he loved Cas so much.  
  
“Hey, you scared us,” Dean wrapped his arms around Cas and held onto him tight.  
  
“I should have stayed away longer,” Cas said, but he leaned into Dean’s arms and Sam thought he looked a bit less depressed than he had before.  “I want you two to get along.”  
  
“I know Cas,” Sam said, “but it’s not that simple.”  
  
“Why not?  It was always that simple before.”  
  
Without letting go of Cas, Dean gave Sam a look.  It said that he would do anything for Cas.  That meant they still weren’t going to talk things out but they were going to pretend things were better.  Sam didn’t approve and he knew Cas wouldn’t be fooled.  He started to shake his head at Dean.  
  
“You’re right Cas, Sam and I will get along, okay?  No more fighting.”  
  
“Really?”  Castiel asked, sounding very hopeful and looking at Sam.  He held a hand out to Sam who walked closer and took hold of it.  
  
“Yeah,” he didn’t like it.  They needed to work things out and arguing was part of that, but he wanted Cas to be okay.  “No more fighting, Cas.  We’ll get along again.”  
  
Cas smiled brightly, “Oh good.”  Then Sam smelled smoke and all three of them started coughing.  
  
“Dammit Sammy, did you leave the burner on?”  Dean said letting go of Cas and running to the kitchen.  
  
“It was only oil.”  Sam followed much more slowly behind.  
  
* Week 9 *  
  
Castiel was watching Dean as he glided across the ice.  Dean was wearing a black unitard, the type professional skaters wore, and ice skates.  It didn’t make any sense at all but one thing struck Castiel, the muscles.  He had seen Dean naked enough to know that everything about his body was right and as wrong as Dean looked figure skating, he was hot in that unitard.  
  
Dean stopped by the railing and Castiel hurried over to talk to him.  
  
“Dean, I did not know you could skate.”  Castiel said.  
  
“Do I know you?”  Dean looked at him with a completely blank expression.  
  
“I am Castiel.”  
  
Dean shook his head, “Look, it’s friends and family only until the show, okay?  You need to leave.”  
  
Castiel didn’t know what to say but then a familiar voice came from behind him.  
  
“Is he causing you trouble Dean?  Because I can definitely make him go away.”  
  
“Lucifer?”  Cas turned to see Lucifer, in a vessel of course, standing behind him.  
  
Lucifer laughed, “Brother.”  
  
“You have a lot of brothers Luci,” Dean said, leaning up and kissing Lucifer.  “Tell them to come for the show instead of practice.”  
  
“I haven’t been inviting them, they just keep dropping by.”  
  
“You are not on earth,” Castiel said, “you are in Hell, locked in a cage.”  That hadn’t changed.  Besides that, why was Dean pretending not to know him?  Worse, he had kissed Lucifer, kissed him!  
  
Lucifer laughed, “Does it look like I am in a cage?  I’m back, Castiel and I am going to turn everyone’s lives upside down.”  
  
Castiel gasped and sat up in bed.  His eyes opened and he looked around his empty bedroom.  There was no one there but him.  Of course he had to go to the bathroom.  There seemed to never be a moment when he woke up and didn’t.  So that whole thing, it hadn’t happened, that was what he hoped at any rate.  He looked over at his clock and saw that it was three in the morning.  That was a bad time to call anyone.  Slipping between the sheets again he tried to get comfortable enough to go back to sleep.  
  
The place he was in next smelled of floor wax and honey.  He wasn’t sure of the source of the honey scent.  The floors though were highly polished wood.  Sam was with a girl near a long wooden bar.  Now it was Sam in a unitard instead of Dean, but Sam wore black ballet shoes and he was practicing ballet with the girl.  
  
Cas knew it wasn’t right.  Sam doing ballet?  Sam did not know how to dance like that.  He did stare for a while though before he decided to leave.  It had to be another dream, or nightmare.  There was no way for it to be real and he didn’t want any part of it.  He was almost out of the door when Sam called out to him.    
  
“Hey Cas, you came.”  He jogged over and clapped a hand on Cas’ shoulder.  “That’s great!  Michael said he wasn’t sure you would make it.  Let me introduce you to Dana.”  He dragged Castiel back in and over to the girl he’d been dancing with.  “Cas, this is my dance partner Dana, Dana, this is Castiel, my boyfriend’s brother.”  
  
Wait, what?  “You are dating Michael?”  Castiel stared at Sam.  
  
“Three years now, stop teasing Cas.”  Sam laughed.  “When I first met Cas he said if Michael ever hurt me I should date him instead.”  Dana and Sam found that amusing.  
  
“I did not, but if I had I would have meant it.  You are not dating Michael though.  You are…”  
  
“Okay Cas, okay, let me show you where you’ll be sitting.”  
  
He was in a theater and it was very dark.  On stage the curtain was drawn.  Someone sat down beside him and Castiel looked over.  Michael.  Michael was supposedly dating Sam.  Castiel knew it wasn’t true, but he couldn’t prove it.    
  
“This isn’t real,” he said.  
  
“It’s as real as anything is,” Michael replied.  “Besides, we need to talk.”  
  
“About what?” Castiel asked.  
  
“About Sam, and Dean.”  Michael looked right into his eyes, “And the baby.”  
  
Castiel stood up, his heart hammering in his chest.  There was no way they could know, could they?  It was too soon, way too soon.  “I have to go.”  He tried to stumble past Michael but Michael slammed him back into his seat. “You’re lucky we haven’t killed you on the spot.”  
  
“Leave me alone, leave it alone, leave them alone!”  If the angels wanted to they could kill them all, just for being involved.  
  
“We’ve decided to wait this out and see what comes of it.”  Michael said, “If it becomes a problem for us, however, we will not hesitate to take care of it.  Are you hearing me?”  
  
“Yes,” Castiel said, and he heard his voice shaking.  Even though just a week ago he had hated the baby.  The truth was he’d never hated the baby.  He’d just felt so helpless.  It hadn’t helped either.  Now the brothers were pretending to get along in front of him just for show.  
  
“Good, make sure that it doesn’t become a problem then.”  
  
With that Cas woke up abruptly.  He looked at the clock.  It was four in the morning.  He wanted Dean, he wanted Sam, he wanted Sam and Dean but it was four in the morning.  Cas picked up the phone and stared at Dean, then Sam, then Dean.  Finally he chose one and called.  
  
“Cas,” Sam’s tired voice said into the phone.  
  
“Sam, are you okay?”  
  
“Of course I’m okay.”    
  
Castiel heard the shift of bedsprings in the background and he couldn’t help himself.  He had to know they were okay, both of them and that they were still… them.  He moved himself to Sam’s room to see him sitting up, then rubbing his eyes.  
  
“Are you okay?” Sam asked into the phone.  
  
“Yes,” Castiel hung up his phone and stared at Sam.  
  
“Uh, hi Cas.”  Sam hung up too and stood, “It’s the middle of the night, you know?  Do you want to tell me what has you all wound up?”  
  
“I… just had to know.  You are not dating Michael, correct?”  
  
“Who?  Cas if I was seeing anyone other than you I would…”  
  
Castiel did not let him finish, he threw his arms around Sam and kissed him.  At first Sam was a little stiff, but that went away soon enough.  It wasn’t enough though.  Castiel pulled away.  “I must see Dean.”  
  
He went right to Dean’s room next and got himself another kiss.  
  
* Week 11 *  
  
Cas had been clear, he told Sam to be at his place at exactly 7pm on Friday, so it was pretty confusing to see Dean’s Impala parked in the lot.  This was supposed to be a date.  Did Cas expect them to take him out together?  If that was his idea Sam didn’t really care but he should have mentioned because Dean would.  Sam sighed and headed in with a certain amount of discomfort.  No doubt Dean was under the same impression he was, that he and Cas were going out tonight just the two of them.  
  
He opened the door to the scent of Dean’s steak and scallops with cheddar potatoes.  Sam stopped in the doorway.  Had Cas forgotten about asking him to go out?  That would not be at all like the angel and even with pregnancy symptoms playing havoc with him, Sam didn’t think Cas would forget.  What was going on?  
  
“Cas?” Dean appeared in the doorway smiling, then he saw Sam.  He frowned, “What are you doing here?”  
  
Sam shrugged, there was no use avoiding the question, they were definitely about to argue.  Had Cas meant for them to argue tonight?  Why would he want that?  “Cas asked me to take him out tonight.”  
  
“No way,” Dean shook his head, “he asked me to cook dinner for two tonight.  He’s been talking about it all week, picked the food and everything.”  
  
“Really?”  Sam came further in.  Maybe it wasn’t exactly meant to make them fight.  Steak and shrimp was one of the meals Dean made that Sam liked best.  “Did he ask for a salad first?  Steamed broccoli with dinner?”  
  
“Yeah, so?”  Dean went back into the kitchen and Sam followed after him.  
  
“Because this is one of my favorite meals Dean, remember?  You cooked it for my graduation party.”  Sam looked around the kitchen, then he moved towards the dining room.  
  
Dean was quiet for a little while, then he came up with an answer.  “Cas liked it too I guess.  Your date must be next week, so why don’t you go home?”  
  
“I don’t think so.”  Sam went into the dining room.  The table was set with real silver, porcelain dinnerware, and crystal glasses.  That did not look like something Dean would do.  “Who set the table?”  
  
“Cas, I guess,” Dean answered.  
  
The fabric napkins were deep sapphire, the tablecloth a stark white.  In the center of the table was a flower arrangement and a candle with an envelope wedged between them.  
  
“Where is he?” Sam asked, pulling the envelope from its place and eying the front of it.  ‘Dean & Sam’, it said in Cas’ print.  
  
“I don’t know.  He left me a note on the refrigerator that he’d be here at seven.”  Dean entered the dining room.  “You need to go, okay?  Just give us a little space.  You’re constantly around and we never get time alone, so leave.”  
  
“Has it ever occurred to you that maybe that’s the way Cas wants it?  He keeps coming to both of us, arranging things with both of us, and he wants us to get along.”  
  
“He doesn’t even know what he wants half the time anymore.  Stop trying to make things true that just aren’t.”  
  
“Where is he then?  It’s seven Dean.”  
  
“He must be running late,” Dean shifted and glanced around.    
  
Cas was actually pretty punctual most of the time.  
  
“Yeah, or maybe we’ve been set up.”  Sam held the envelope to Dean.  
  
“What’s this?” Dean asked taking it and looking it over.  “Where did you find it?”  
  
“In between the candle and the flowers.”  Sam thought it was looking more and more like some sort of setup.  “Are you opening it or am I?”  
  
Dean tore it open and pulled out a couple of pages of notebook paper.  Sam saw his eyes scan over them and then he refolded them and shoved the whole thing at Sam.  “Here, you read it.  I need to get dinner on the table before it isn’t good anymore.”  
  
Sam took the letter and straightened it, beginning to read.  Sam and Dean, it said, I asked you both to come here tonight because I need the two of you to work things out.  
  
“Read it out loud,” Dean said from the kitchen.  “I didn’t read the whole thing.”  
  
Sam went into the kitchen and started reading from where he’d left off.  “I know it wasn’t a very nice thing to do, but I’m not feeling very nice.  In fact I am fairly sure that this vessel I am in is dying.  It doesn’t seem to matter how much sleep I get or what I eat I just get more and more tired and sick and now there is a strange black line traveling up my stomach,” Sam stopped reading.  “They call that the linea nigra, it’s perfectly normal.”  
  
Dean went past him with the salad, “I doubt he wrote that.”  
  
“No, he… Dean, he’s not dying.  He’s just pregnant.”  
  
“I know that.  What else did he say?”  
  
They were going to have to find Cas and talk to him but Sam supposed food wouldn’t hurt and maybe after they ate Cas would just show up on his own.  He looked at the note again.  “Well there’s a lot more about his symptoms which are all pretty normal pregnancy symptoms from what I’ve read and then…” he scanned down to the next section.  “I know that the two of you have been pretending to get along for me but that isn’t what I wanted.  Now that I’m dying it’s even more important to me you get along since you will only have each other once I’m gone and I know you love each other so please do whatever you need to do to work things out.”  
  
The next paragraph was… strange.  
  
“Is that it?”  Dean was sitting at the table now.  
  
It suggested that the two of them should be together.  “I know you live together because of the deep love you have for each other and neither of you have ever acted on that love because of the way society views such things but God himself has no problem with that sort of love if the two of you were to devote your lives to each other.  Please consider doing so in my absence.  You love each other and you would be good together.  I mean it.”  Then he had signed the letter, Love, Cas.  
  
“Sam?  Is there anything else?”  
  
“No, not really.  That’s about all there is.”  Sam folded the letter up and put it away in his pocket.  “So… I’m allowed to eat with you tonight?”  
  
“Yeah, no use wasting it.”  Dean said.  
  
Sam sat down across from him and started eating.  The salad went by in silence.  Dean served the main meal next and they ate half of that in silence too.  “Look, Dean, I’m sorry about going out with Cas.  I should have stayed back like I usually do and let you handle things.”  
  
Dean set down his fork, “You aren’t serious.”  
  
“Yeah, I mean I’m not sorry I got to be with Cas but I should never have done it.  You’re my brother and it was wrong to move in on your boyfriend.”  
  
“He wasn’t mine, like you pointed out.  I’ve never actually committed to him in any way.”  
  
“You have lately.  I mean,” Sam shook his head, leaning back.  He did not stop eating longer than it took to talk though.  He’d really missed Dean’s cooking.  “Even I’ve been impressed with the way you’ve been dealing with things.”  
  
“Don’t give me that.  You’re over here all the time showing just how bad I suck at this.  Hell, you know what he needs before he even needs it.”  Sam heard the jealousy in Dean’s tones and was surprised by it’s intensity.  
  
“I get that stuff from the internet dude, it’s out there for anyone to read and don’t pull that jealous crap on me.  I was sitting there, in the background like a back up plan, while he stared after you like a lost puppy.  Cas and I were never a thing.  You’re the one he loves.”  
  
“Right, because when I asked him if he loved the other guy he didn’t say he loved us both or anything,” Dean was gripping the table hard and Sam hoped he didn’t do anything stupid, like toss it over or something.  
  
“That was…” it had really thrown Sam at the time.  “I don’t think he was really thinking when he said that.  He loves us both, sure, but not that way.  You are, you’ve always been, the one he has eyes for.”  
  
“It’s not that simple.”  Dean stood up abruptly, overturning his chair.  He paused to pick it back up.  “Things have changed and now he wants you too.  I can’t win here Sammy, you’re… everything.  I mean you’ve got the looks, the education, you’re gonna get an amazing job.  I shouldn’t even be standing in the way of you two.  If anyone can make Cas happy it’s you.  You’re understanding and… everything I’m not.”  
  
Frowning, Sam stood up.  He had never heard Dean say anything like that before.  Dean was always so confident and cocky about things.  “You don’t really think that, right?”  The eyes that Dean turned on him gave Sam all the answer he needed.  So he thought Dean was everything and Dean thought he was.  Could Cas be right?  Sam had fantasized about things, crazy things but Dean had never seemed to have any interest in him like that.  “Dean, do you… have a thing for me?”  
  
“What?  No!”  Dean went to the kitchen and started fumbling through the cupboards.  Sam followed after him, watching.  “No, what the fuck kind of question is that?  The only person I have a thing for is Cas.”  He finally opened the fridge and pulled out a beer.  Sam was willing to bet Cas had removed everything stronger than that from the apartment.  
  
“Yeah?  Cas doesn’t seem to think so.”  
  
“What are you talking about?”  
  
He hadn’t intended to show it to Dean but maybe he should.  Sam pulled the letter out and gave it over.  “Last paragraph,” he said softly and watched Dean read it.  He saw a flicker of interest, a flicker of guilt and some anger.  Dean had anger to spare lately.  
  
“That’s just sick!”  Dean slammed the letter down on the table and the whole thing clattered.  “Cas!”  He started walking around the room, “I know you’re listening Cas, get the hell back here.”  
  
The whole room trembled a bit and then Cas was there, looking between them.  Sam saw the puffiness under his eyes, the paleness of his skin.  The pregnancy was truly taking a lot out of him.  
  
“Yes Dean?”  
  
“Sam and I are not going to fuck each other, got it?  It’s not happening!”  
  
Castiel sighed and slumped into a dining room chair.  “I can’t make you.  I just don’t want to leave you alone when I…”  
  
“You aren’t dying,” Sam objected right away.  “It might feel that way, but that isn’t what’s going on, okay?”  
  
Cas smiled at him faintly, “I’m pretty sure I am.”  
  
“Well, you’re not,” Dean said.  
  
“Are you at least talking again?  Will you eat together, share laundry duty and hang out to watch a game now and then,” Castiel asked.  
  
Sam looked at Dean and Dean met his eyes.  There was something… yes, Sam felt the corner of his lips twitch up and tears rise to his eyes.  He didn’t let the tears go anywhere.  “Yeah, I’m pretty sure we are.”  He went to Dean and pulled him into his arms.  It worked, Dean returned the hug.  Then in unison they turned to Cas.  
  
“Did you eat?” Sam asked and Cas shook his head.  Then Dean went straight to the kitchen and brought out a plate.  
  
“I saved some,” Dean said shrugging, “when we found that stupid letter.  Don’t ever pull anything like that again.”  
  
“Don’t make me,” Cas said softly, then he began to eat.  Once Cas had eaten and fallen asleep in his bedroom the brothers spoke together in soft tones near the front door.  
  
“I have classes between 7am and 9am,” Sam said, “but I can be here after that.”  
  
“What happened to your other classes Sammy?”  
  
“I wanted to be around, you know?”  
  
“I’ll see if I can get a late start at the garage for a while just until this passes.”  Dean said frowning, “It’s supposed to get better in a few weeks right?”  
  
“His energy should pick up in the second trimester so what, a week?  It might be two if we misjudged the age in the first place but I don’t think so.”  
  
Dean nodded, “Okay, I’ll take tonight.  Go get some sleep.”  
  
Sam nodded too.  Then he said, “I’m glad we’re talking again Dean.  I missed you, a lot.”  
  
“You saw me all the time,” Dean said but his smile said he knew what Sam meant.  
  
* Bobby *  
  
Dean was cooking burgers in the kitchen while Cas read in the living room when a knock sounded at the front door.  He frowned.  Sam wouldn’t knock, but who else could have gotten past the front security door without getting buzzed in?  Wondering which neighbor was bothering them Dean turned the flame down a bit.  “I’ll get it,” he called out to Cas.    
  
Cas had been better lately.  Sam said he was in the second trimester which meant he would be more energized.  Dean believed it was true, though there were some aches and pains, Cas was tolerant of scents again and the nausea had gone away.  Dean opened the door and stared at the older man in front of him holding a badly wrapped box.  Then he grinned.  
  
“Uncle Bobby?”  He leaned in and hugged the other man.  “I didn’t know you were coming!”  
  
“You boys have been in touch enough, I thought I ought to pay a visit,” he returned the hug enthusiastically before stepping back.  “Besides, it’s traditional to give gifts to people when they’re having babies and I didn’t know if any of you idjits would think to throw a baby shower.”  
  
“A… baby shower?” Dean asked, frowning.  
  
Bobby raised his eyebrows then shook his head.  “Like I said.”  
  
“Come on in, Cas is in the living room and Sam’s coming over for dinner after he finishes his homework.  I’ll go fry up some extra burgers for you.”  
  
Bobby disappeared into the living room as Dean returned to the kitchen.  That was unexpected, definitely but it was always good to see Bobby.  He wasn’t really their Uncle, but since their parents were divorced and their mother thought their father was irresponsible, she had left them to Bobby in the event of her death.  Bobby was an old friend of her parents who had died before they were born.  He’d been a great guardian, not that there hadn’t been bad times, but there’d been more good than bad.    
  
Besides all of that, Bobby was an expert on all things out of the ordinary; monsters, angels, that sort of thing.  Of course Dean had called him about angelic pregnancy thinking he might be a bit more forthright then Cas was being.  Bobby hadn’t gotten back to him but maybe he had finally turned up something useful.  
  
When Sam came in, Dean intercepted him, “Bobby is here.”  
  
“That’s great!  Where is he?”  
  
“In the living room,” Dean replied, but he put a hand on his brother’s shoulder to keep him from rushing off.  “Do you know what a baby shower is?”  
  
Sam blinked at him blankly for a moment.  “Oh, it’s a party for pregnant women.  They invite friends and family, have drinks and snacks, sometimes decorations and people bring gifts to help out with the baby.  You know, clothes, toys, that sort of thing.”  
  
He’d known it had something to do with women.  Pregnant women, evidently.  He’d never really known anyone who was having a baby though, or getting married, or anything like that.  “Thanks, tell them dinner is ready.”  Then he went back to the kitchen to get dinner on serving dishes.  
  
Once they had eaten and were relaxing with some beer, fizzy grape juice for Cas, Bobby leaned back.  He put his eyes directly on Cas as he spoke.  
  
“Now, both of my boys have been talking to me about this baby you’re having so I did some looking up.  It seems like there are certain things you haven’t explained to them very well or at all.  I know you’re cut off from the angelic community but it seems like you probably know these things, am I right?”  
  
Dean looked at Cas too, just in time to see the uneasy look pass over his face as he shifted in his seat and looked down at the table.  “I’m not sure what you are referring to.”  
  
Oh yes he was.  Dean was willing to bet Cas knew exactly what Bobby was talking about.  
  
“Then I’ll tell all three of you,” Bobby said.  
  
Cas stood suddenly from his chair.  “I must… use the facilities,” then he hurried from the room and Dean heard the click as Cas locked the bathroom door.  
  
“What’s going on?”  Sam asked, frowning.  
  
Bobby sighed, “Angel babies are made in a very specific way.  It only has a little to do with sex, it has more to do with a joining of spirits.”  
  
“Cas told us that,” Sam said.  
  
“What does it mean?” Dean asked.  
  
“It means that there has to be love and it has to be strong.”  
  
“Then the baby has to be Dean’s,” Sam said right away.  
  
“It ain’t that simple,” Bobby held a hand up.  “For there to be a baby three people must be involved, not the standard two.”  
  
“What?” Dean wasn’t sure when he’d stood up, but he had.  Three people involved to make a baby?  That made no sense.  
  
“God made it that way so that it would be extremely rare for angels to have babies, according to the resources I’ve found.  He wanted it to never happen, according to one source.  The other suggests he wanted such babies to be truly wondrous and rare.  Whatever he was thinking all three individuals must be in love.”  
  
Dean looked at Sam who was staring at Bobby, his face blank.  He didn’t so much as twitch.  “I’m not in love with my brother,” Dean objected, his voice raising, “You know I’m not.”  
  
Bobby shrugged in that matter of fact way he had and said, “The lore says differently.”  
  
“Well, the lore is wrong!”  Taking his beer, Dean left the room.  He heard Sam murmur some sort of question but he didn’t catch the words.  It was back, the guilt he felt whenever he acknowledged those feelings he had for Sam.  Hadn’t he done a good enough job of burying them?  Uncle Bobby would be furious.  He didn’t seem furious but he would be, he had to be.    
  
Loving your own brother that way was just wrong.  He looked down at his white knuckles gripping the beer bottle, drank what was left in it and dropped it in the trash.  “Shit.”  If Bobby was right then that baby wasn’t his, or Sam’s it belonged to all three of them.  “Fuck.”  Dean prowled the kitchen restlessly wanting to just run away.  How could he?  Cas was going to have a baby and it was part his.  He didn’t know how long he’d been pacing and swearing before Sam walked into the room.  
  
“Hey, calm down a little, okay?  It’s really not that bad,” Sam said, stopping him with a hand on each of his shoulders.  
  
“It really is.”  Dean didn’t know how to put words around all of the things he felt.  “It’s just wrong, I’m wrong, I shouldn’t have these feelings for you.”  
  
The left corner of Sam’s mouth rose, “Has it occurred to you that he said we all loved each other that way?”  
  
“Meaning what?”  Dean didn’t think that changed anything.  
  
“Meaning that I am in love with you too!”  Sam said, “So am I sick too?  Is there something wrong with me?”  
  
“I…” no, Dean couldn’t bring himself to say that there was something wrong with Sammy, something sick and disturbed, but he still felt so damn guilty.  “It must be my fault somehow, the way you feel.”  
  
“No, it isn’t.  My feelings are my own, don’t try to take them away from me and make them your fault.”  Sam’s eyes were so intense that Dean found he couldn’t argue.  It was like if he did, he was taking away his brother’s rights somehow.  In the silence that followed, Sam leaned down and kissed Dean.  Dean found himself kissing back, wanting the closeness.  How many times had he pushed away from this, hating it?  If it made a baby… could it be all bad?  
  
“Well it’s about time,” Bobby said from the doorway.  
  
Dean was backing away in a flash, his heart beating and guilt nearly consuming him completely.  “Shit!”  
  
“Uncle Bobby, did you have to?”  Sam asked.  
  
“Yeah, I don’t want you two gettin’ too hot and heavy or I’ll have to leave before giving Cas his gift.”  
  
Sam and Dean exchanged looks and Dean quickly took advantage of the silence.  “I’ll go get Cas,” he said and bolted from the room.  His mind kept reviewing the kiss he’d had with Sam and suggesting there should be more and other things.  It scared him and he didn’t like showing fear; he was much, much better at stuffing it down and covering it up.  
  
* Week 20 *  
  
Sam knew why Dean was dodging him, but it didn’t make things any better.  In a way it made things worse.  It felt like a rejection of his feelings, his desires.  Dean was saying he didn’t want Sam like Sam wanted him.  Sam knew better but that was the way it felt.  Dean had been his first love and Cas his second.  More than anything he wanted to be close to them both but it seemed as if there was no way.  He missed the closeness he’d had with Dean before, even though they were in denial.  At least they’d been together and been able to communicate, to share, to lean against each other when they sat together on the couch.  
  
It was actually Cas who forced a change.  He was in his fifth month of pregnancy, and had been really energetic for a while.  There were still a lot of pains but he was dealing with them much better and he no longer swore that he was dying.  In fact he’d been increasingly sexual and Sam almost felt guilty about their pretty much daily encounters.  There was no way to ask if Dean was having sex with him regularly too, but he hoped his brother was, otherwise it would eventually become a point of jealousy.  
  
They still weren’t leaving Cas alone much and the three of them always had dinner together, which was how Cas managed to corner them.  After dinner when the table was cleared and Dean was getting ready to go home he said, “Don’t go.  I have something I want to talk to you both about.  You have time, don’t you?”  
  
“Sure,” Dean said, letting Cas drag him back to the table.  
  
Sam watched as Cas went to the living room, picked up a bag he’d been keeping by the couch for the last several weeks and emptied it onto the table.  It was full of, “Apartment guides?”  Sam picked one up and flipped through it.  Certain local places had been highlighted and some even had notes by them.  
  
Cas blushed.  “I would like the two of you to move in with me.”  Sam watched Cas’ dark eyes travel between them.  Those eyes were one of the things he found incredibly sexy when it came to the angel.  He wouldn’t mind living with Cas, in a way they practically already were.  
  
“Both of us?”  Dean was restless, shifting a lot, not even looking at the offered guides.  “Wouldn’t that be… odd?”  
  
“I have found some large places that would work.”  Cas said.  “The master bedrooms are very big and we could use one small room as a nursery and the other for an office so Sam can work without being disturbed.  It might be a challenge to find the right sized bed but I’ve found this thing called a California King that seems quite roomy.”  
  
“Wait,” Dean went still as he spoke again and Sam noticed that he was quite stiff, almost paralyzed, “we would share the Master bedroom?  All of us?”  
  
“I could have a bed in my office,” Sam said.  He didn’t like it, but he didn’t want Dean to say no just because of where they might sleep.  
  
“No,” Cas’ voice was hard, “I want you both with me.”  
  
Dean just stared at him, like a deer in headlights.  Sam counted in his head to four before the explosion began.  He’d known it would come.  Dean stood abruptly and went to the kitchen.  Every cabinet opened, the fridge opened and slammed shut.  “Dammit Cas, I need a drink!  A real drink!”  
  
A bottle of whisky and a glass appeared on the table.  “It is bad to drink in order to hide your feelings.  I wish you wouldn’t do that,” Cas said.  
  
Dean returned to the room and his furious gaze caught on the whiskey before he spoke, so that what came out was, “I don’t…” then a much more controlled, “…Thanks.”  He sat down and had some whiskey, about a quarter of a bottle.  
  
“So, all of the highlighted places have what we need?”  Sam asked as Dean drank.  Dean had been drinking to cope for as long as he could remember.  It was a habit of their father’s as well as Bobby’s.  He supposed it made sense that it was Dean’s habit as well.  Although he worried sometimes, he’d never found any use in trying to object.  
  
“Yes.”  Cas started picking up guides and pointing things out.  “If it’s no longer available I put an x, but apartments come up so we could always call to see if there is anything new.  I thought the three of us could go looking together on Saturday or Sunday.”  
  
“Do you have any favorites?”  
  
It was in the middle of the favorites that Dean finally spoke again.  “Are we really gonna do this?”  
  
Cas looked directly at him.  “I would like to.”  
  
“I’m good with it,” Sam said, wondering if this would be the time at which Dean finally gave in, or would he just walk away because he couldn’t handle it?  If he did, Sam wondered what he would do in turn.  Would he give up on Dean, or chase after him?  
  
“You’re both… fine.  You don’t think there’s anything wrong or bad about…?”  Dean might have said more but Cas had leaned across the table to put a finger on his lips.  
  
“If there is something wrong with the three of us being in love then this baby is wrong.  I feel the baby inside of me and it does not seem evil.  I cannot view it as an abomination, so I can’t think of the love we share as being anything but right and good.”  
  
Sam felt his heart warming at the words.  Maybe it was something he’d also needed to hear.  He watched his brother swallow, saw the moment when Dean accepted Cas’ words.    
  
“Yes, alright,” Dean said, “so the three of us will… move in together.”  
  
Cas’ smile made his whole face brighter.  “Great, west of campus or east?”  
  
* Week 24 *  
  
Moving three men into a new apartment was a lot of work.  Cas tried to help as much as he could, but everything took its toll.  Even magic was like a workout these days.  He hadn’t been able to go to Heaven in a while.  Actually he didn’t dare.  Who knew what might happen to him and he still remembered the dream with Michael in it.  Maybe it had just been another weird dream in the parade of them that had come as the pregnancy advanced, but he wasn’t making any bets.  Angels could communicate during dreams.  It was a common trick.  
  
Bobby had given him a baby gym.  It was a brightly colored thing for the baby to lie on with toys, and a mirror on one side by baby’s head.  Animal pictures lined the other side, then positioned to dangle and be played with were plastic animals that glowed or lit up or made sounds.  Cas was really impressed by it and began to wonder what other things might be good to buy for the baby.  
  
He began using Sam’s laptop to search for things and making a list of furniture, decals and other items to make the nursery special.  Each of the brothers had gotten him a few items off the list, so he was arranging them in the nursery when there was a knock on the apartment door.  
  
“I’ll get it,” Sam called and Cas went back to deciding where the crib should go until he heard the voice.  
  
“Ah ha, I got lucky.  Hello, Sam,” Lucifer said.  
  
Cas was at Sam’s side in a blink.  “No,” Cas said.  
  
Sam was frowning, his brow adorably creased.  As much as Cas loved that expression he hated the reason behind it.  
  
“I have no idea what you mean, Castiel.  I just came to visit.”  He held up a meticulously wrapped box that was large and tall.  “I wanted to give you something for the baby.”  
  
“No, I don’t want it and this baby doesn’t want anything to do with you.”  Cas put his hand on the door and pushed it closed.  Then he locked and bolted it as if that would make a difference.  He’d been living with humans too long.  
  
“Who was that?”  Sam was watching him closely.  
  
“He is one of my brothers,” Castiel began as he turned around to see Lucifer behind him.  
  
“Lucifer, it is a pleasure to make you’re acquaintance,” Lucifer held his hand out to Sam to be shaken, as if he had been welcomed instead of just had the door shut on him.  Set neatly on the floor was the package he’d offered Cas.  
  
Sam seemed unable to not automatically shake the offered hand.  He liked to be polite and generally gave people the benefit of the doubt which was bad in this case.  It never turned out well for people who befriended Lucifer.  
  
“Don’t, Sam, don’t trust him.  He hates humans.  That’s why he was cast out.”  Cas tried to move between them.  
  
“As if I couldn’t have changed after all of those years stuck in a cage, unable to break free.”  
  
“I’m sure you haven’t.  We have Hell and demons to thank him for Sam.  You know about demons at least, living with your uncle like you did.”  Cas said.  
  
“You have no idea how much that hurts,” Lucifer waved dismissively and Cas got the feeling it hadn’t hurt him at all.  “Here I am trying to thank you and this is the kind of welcome I get.  Or perhaps you don’t want me to cleanse Sam.  You don’t mind that he is a ticking time bomb who sleeps in your bed and sits at your table.”  
  
“What are you talking about?”  Sam asked, before Cas got to say anything.  He couldn’t imagine that Lucifer was stating fact.  It had to be a lie.  
  
“The demon blood you were fed as a baby,” Lucifer leaned past Cas.  “Your mother died trying to protect you, but you drank it gladly after she was dead.”  
  
Castiel used a blast of power to send Lucifer tumbling off to the other side of the room.  It took a lot out of him and he swayed, feeling Sam catch hold of him from behind.  
  
Picking himself up and brushing off Lucifer laughed.  “You want to wrestle Castiel?  You do realize I will win, correct?”  
  
With his arms firmly around Cas, holding him steady Sam said, “Cas, calm down.  I think we should listen to what he has to say.”  
  
“He lies,” Castiel said, staring at Lucifer, “It’s all he ever does.”  
  
“On the contrary, I never lie, the truth is far more brutal.  If you want lies, consult Heaven.  Is God back yet or are Michael and Naomi still running things up there?”  
  
Naomi, the name rolled in Castiel’s head again and again but he could think of no angel to go with it.  Michael he knew, of course but Naomi…  
  
“Did I say something strange, brother?” Lucifer asked and then he turned to Sam, taking advantage of Cas’ confusion.  “You can feel that you are different, can’t you?  It’s the demon blood and in the next few years, if nothing is done, it will become a big problem.  Most likely it will get you killed, unless my brother gets a recharge somehow.”  
  
“What are you talking about?” Sam looked at Cas and Cas could feel his uncertainty.  Cas hadn’t told the brothers about the way his power worked.  
  
“Angels of Castiel’s rank have to return to Heaven periodically or their powers start to wane.  Isn’t that true, brother?”  
  
Castiel glared.  Lucifer had quickly taken the upper hand here and he didn’t like it.  It couldn’t be good, the archangel never brought anything good.  Still, he wouldn’t lie to Sam.  “He is correct.  I have not been able to go to Heaven since I began showing.”  
  
“Why not?”  Sam’s brows were drawn together as he looked at Cas.  There were a couple of clicks from the front door.  
  
“Yes, why not?”  Lucifer echoed, grinning.  “Just go on up and see them, hm?  There couldn’t be any reason not to, Heaven and the Angels in it are all so kind and caring.”  
  
Castiel frowned and the front door opened.  “Because Angels are dicks,” Dean said entering the room.  “You sound like you must be one of them.”  He closed the door.  Dean was holding a bottle of 10W30 in his hand.  
  
“Ah, Dean,” Lucifer looked at him and smiled, “You were my boyfriend in one of Cas’ more colorful dreams, did you know that?”  
  
“No, and I could have done without the knowledge for just about eternity.”  Dean said.  He looked at Cas.  “Is he a problem?  I could remove him if you like.”  
  
Castiel wasn’t sure.  Lucifer had spoken authoritatively about the demon blood and he should know about such things.  “I don’t know.”  
  
“Having doubts?  You really should.”  Lucifer said nodding at Castiel’s stomach.  
  
Yes, their baby.  He couldn’t risk exposing it to Heaven where they might destroy it.  Naomi would… who was Naomi?    
  
Dean came to his other side.  “You okay?”  
  
“Yes, I…” Cas looked at Lucifer, “If you want me to believe you never lie than tell me how it is you’re out of your cage.”  
  
“That’s simple.  You got pregnant.”  Lucifer grinned, “That is the first chance I get for forgiveness.  Check the God scrolls, oh but wait, those were stolen, tough luck there.”  
  
“What are the God Scrolls?” Sam asked.  
  
“God left them behind before he journeyed from Heaven.  They were directives to help us stay on track in his absence.  Michael was charged to protect them but they were stolen 50 years later.  Angels have looked for them ever since.”  
  
“So what, some angel went rogue?” Dean asked.  
  
Castiel looked down, “No, there must have been an intruder.”  
  
Lucifer laughed, “Of course there was.  You just keep trying to believe that until your head explodes.”  
  
“What do you believe?,” Sam asked.  
  
“So nice of you to ask my opinion.  There is one Angel who can alter memories and only one.  That is where I would start looking.  Her name is Naomi.”  
  
There was that name again.  Castiel closed his eyes.  It meant something.  There was something about Naomi but he couldn’t even think of who she was.  Dean moved suddenly and Cas opened his eyes to see Lucifer almost touching him and Dean knocking his hand away.  
  
“What do you think you’re doing?” Dean asked.  
  
“I could squash you like a fly,” Lucifer snarled.  
  
“I’m betting you won’t, because if you didn’t need us, and need us all, I think you would have already tried.” Dean said and the two stared at each other in silence.  
  
“His mind is blocked.  I intended to unblock it.”  Lucifer said mildly, as if Dean had not just figured him out.  
  
“Wait, what do you need us for,” Cas asked.  
  
Lucifer gave an exaggerated sigh, “To retrieve the tablet of course, before they figure out I’m back.  Otherwise they will either force a fight or kill your child to send me back to my cage.”  
  
“Why haven’t they done that already?”  Cas couldn’t think of any reason to wait.  Michael said if the baby caused trouble he would kill it.  Just as the meaning began to take shape Lucifer answered.  
  
“I think you’ve figured it out.  They think the child will actually have to come to me and unlock the cage somehow.”  
  
Cas swayed again.  The emotions mixed with all of his uncertainty was a bit overwhelming.  “Sam, I think I need to sit down.”  Sam and Dean helped him to the couch.  All the while Dean kept giving Lucifer dark looks.  Once he was sitting, Cas started going over what he knew.  His memories might be blocked.  Sam might have demon blood in him.  Their baby was going to be killed.  Their baby was in danger.  Michael would kill their baby.  He swallowed hard.  
  
“Let him touch me Dean.  I need to get those memories back.”  
  
“You’re sure?”  
  
There was no real choice.  “Yes.”  
  
* * *  
  
Lucifer had disappeared right after he touched Cas and Cas passed out.  Dean wanted to pummel the bastard.  He was worried about Cas and the whole mess.  Besides that angels were dicks, and Cas was the only exception, just him and no one else.  
  
“I’ll carry him to the bedroom,” Dean said, lifting Cas up.  
  
“I’ll pull back the sheets,” Sam hurried ahead to do so and when Dean got to the bed it was easy to slip Cas under the sheets.  “Do you think he’s okay?”  
  
Dean wondered what made Sam even vaguely think he might know the answer.  “No idea.”  He tucked the covers around Cas and ran his fingers through his hair.  “He’s hot.”  
  
“I’ll get a cool washcloth.”  Sam said.  
  
Dean nodded and stood, heading out of the room behind Sam.  His brother was good at this sort of thing, he was not.  He just wanted to hurt someone and Lucifer was topping his list, since the fallen angel had been last to touch Cas.  Clenching his fists, he went through the dining room and out the sliding glass doors that led to their outdoor patio.  He went to the railing and gripped it, leaning over the edge to look down.  
  
For a long time he just stared.  There was nothing to look at really, but he was so angry, and he didn’t know what to do with that anger.  Then strong, long arms wrapped around him from behind.  “Sammy.”  The position was such a strange one and he wanted to push away, or at least a part of him did.  Another part of him wanted to just lean back and let his little brother comfort him.  
  
“He’ll be fine, you know?”  Sam squeezed him briefly.  
  
“No, I don’t know.”  Dean shook his head, “I don’t know what the hell is going on and the angel that did it just disappeared.  Cas could be dying right now.”  The words ground out of his dry throat.  He didn’t want anything to happen to Cas, or their baby.  
  
“He will be.”  Sam seemed so certain.  How could he do that?  
  
Dean turned and as he did Sam loosened his arms so that it was possible for him to face Sam but Sam didn’t let go.  Dean searched Sam’s eyes for some explanation or some sign of doubt, but it wasn’t there.  There was no way to be so certain but Sam was.  Dean shook his head.  “I just can’t believe that.  I want to but it’s a false hope.  We can’t be sure.”  
  
“I’m sure.”  Sam leaned in and kissed Dean.  
  
The kiss was what undid him.  It was like there was a spring inside of him wound tight that cut loose, bouncing through his body creating chaos.  Did he want Sam?  Hell yeah he wanted him but for such a long time he’d been denying himself, telling himself how wrong it was, how bad, how evil.  That sort of thing didn’t change in a moment or even a month.  What did change at that moment was that he didn’t care anymore.  He pressed into the kiss, deepening it, adding tongue.  His mind and the constant thoughts of Cas, what was right and wrong, all of it just froze.  
  
There was just Sam and the heat between them.  
  
The first kiss was put on pause when their hands began wrestling each others tops off, then it continued as they each shed their pants.  Then Dean found himself allowing Sam to press him down into a lounge chair.  For a brief moment a single thought went through his mind, the thought that Sam intended to go inside of him and he had to stop him because he’d never done that, never allowed it.  Then the thought froze into place with the rest as Sam’s fingers pressed into him, stretching him open and making him scream in pleasure.  
  
Thought was an enemy during sex and that didn’t matter because it was gone.  “Sammy,” Dean moaned, confused by the pleasure yet wanting it to continue.  He looked into steady hazel eyes and found that they grounded him.  
  
“Yeah Dean?” Sam asked, a cocky smile on his lips.  
  
Dean didn’t have an answer, instead his body shook and Sam didn’t seem to mind his silence.  Soon, but not nearly soon enough, Sam pressed into him.  Dean felt the pain and pleasure of it as an overwhelming high that he never wanted to end.  He screamed out who knew what and Sam laughed softly then he started moving in and out of Dean.  It was slow at first and then faster, faster.  Dean heard Sam’s voice, mixing with his own as their bodies moved together and pleasure built with heat, until each of them seemed to be trying to scream loudest.  Then the pleasure came to a peak and everything was perfect for a single moment.  Dean grasped at Sam his hands slipping on sweat slicked skin.  Sam collapsed on top of Dean with a last desperate sound, breathing heavily into Dean’s shoulder.  There were several moments of silence.  
  
Oh God, he’d let Sammy fuck him.  That was the thought that opened the floodgates.  Then there were all of the others, like how could they do that with Cas in the bedroom suffering?  What were they thinking doing it outside on the balcony?  How many people had heard them?  Would they know who they were?  They needed to get up, get dressed, get inside, check on Cas.  Sam elbowed him and rose enough to look into his eyes.  
  
“Cut it out,” Sam said, staring.  
  
“What?”  
  
“Stop feeling badly about what we just did.”  Sam rolled his eyes and began easing out of Dean.  Then his eyes wandered to the side and he stopped moving.  “Cas?  Should you be up?”  
  
Dean felt his whole body flush.  After never allowing Cas to be inside of him, there he was with Sam pulling out right in front of Cas.  Swallowing he turned his head to look at Cas.  
  
“I feel fine now.”  Cas looked between them.  He didn’t seem upset but Dean still felt plenty guilty.  “Next time I would like to be involved too.”  
  
“Of course you will,” Sam said, finally pulling out completely.  Dean envied the easy way he said it, like it was no big deal.  
  
To prevent himself from curling into a ball, Dean stood up and got his clothes.  “So, uh, you’re okay now?”  He barely glanced at Cas still worried what he might be thinking.  
  
“My memories are complete.  I understand a lot that I didn’t before.”  Cas sat down in a chair by the table and gazed at them as they dressed.  Dean felt Cas’ eyes brushing over him several times.  
  
“What?”  Dean asked.  It would be better to get the whole thing over, wouldn’t it?  
  
“I think it’s you.”  Cas said, and Dean had no idea what he meant by the words.  
  
“You think what is me?”  He went to the table as well and sat across from Cas.  
  
“The person who can retrieve the tablet.”  
  
“Why do you think it’s Dean,” Sam asked as he joined them.  
  
“Now that I have all of my memories I remember a common verse referring to the scrolls.  If ever lost the God Scrolls be, then find the man who’s one of three.  Blood of angel or demon will not do, pure human blood shows he who’s true.”  Cas fell silent.  
  
“Is there more?” Sam asked.  
  
“Yes,” Cas said.  
  
“What do I need to do?” Dean asked at the same time.  Sam gave him a look which he took to mean that he shouldn’t rush things, but Dean didn’t care much about Angel poetry or whatever it was.  
  
“It’s not an easy thing, and very risky.”  Cas frowned, looking down.  “I don’t think I want you to try it.”  
  
Sam’s brow creased, “That doesn’t sound good.”  
  
“It isn’t.”  Cas said.  
  
“So what?  We forget about it?”  Dean asked, eyebrows raised.  Really he just wanted to know what needed done, so he could do it.  If it was nothing, that seemed fair.  If they were going to try to get the scrolls though, why wait?  
  
“No, I do not think we can.  It isn’t only Lucifer those scrolls might help.  There could be clarification of our child’s status on them as well.”  Cas said.  
  
“Then let’s do this,” Dean said, not sure why it was necessary to keep delaying.  
  
“It isn’t that simple.  To get the scrolls you must go to Heaven and in order to go to Heaven you’ll have to die.”  Castiel looked at Dean, “I can’t ask you to do that.”  
  
“No,” Sam said, right over Cas, “there has to be another way.”  
  
“I’m afraid there’s no other way.” Cas said.  
  
“Then no, Dean isn’t dying.  I’ll go,” Sam said.  
  
“Like Hell you will,” Dean glared at Sam.  He would rather die than try to live without his brother.  
  
“You’re not dying Dean, I won’t let you!”  
  
“Actually that is the point,” Cas interrupted before Dean could answer in like to Sam.  “We must bring him back to life before the death becomes a permanent thing.  In the meantime Dean will have to find the Scrolls and keep hold of them until we bring him back.  If it goes well then he will not die… permanently.”  
  
“I don’t like it,” Sam said.  
  
“Let’s do it,” Dean said at the same time.  He stared at his brother who stared right back.  Sam always wanted to do things for him these days.  It used to be that he liked for Dean to take the lead, but at some point Sam had become protective of Dean as well.  “I have to do this Sammy, it’s for our baby.”  
  
Sam stood and started pacing.  
  
“I’ll be fine.”  
  
“You can’t know that!” Sam said.  
  
“You couldn’t know that Cas would be okay, but you were certain of it.  I’m certain of this.”  
  
Sam turned on Dean, “It isn’t the same.”  
  
Dean didn’t see how it wasn’t and he didn’t want to argue.  He turned to Cas, “Let’s do it.  What do we need?”  
  
Castiel shook his head, “Not much.  Lie down on the bed and Sam and I will take care of the rest.”  
  
Dean nodded, got up and went into the house.  He heard Cas and Sam talking as he left but he ignored them.  He was ready and he couldn’t let Sam’s desperation pull him back.  For the baby, Dean told himself, I have to do it for the baby.  
  
Sam was stiff and frowning when he came into the room, Cas was fairly calm.  Each of them went to a side of Dean.  
  
“I will send your soul to Heaven, you will die in that moment,” Cas said in soft, steady tones.  “When you get there you should see something that will lead you to the God Scrolls.  Pick them up and hold onto them.  Sam and I will pull you back just before the death becomes permanent and I will put you back in your body.  As long as you are holding the scrolls when we pull you back they are ours.  Ownership of them should protect us.”  
  
“Great,” Dean said.  
  
“I still don’t think…” Sam began, but Dean didn’t hear the rest of what he said.  His stomach lurched, the world spun and then he didn’t feel much of anything at all.  
  
* Dean *  
  
“Dean, it is too soon for you to be here,” his mother said in soft, sad tones.  
  
Dean opened his eyes to an overwhelming brightness, unsure when he’d closed his eyes.  “Mom?”  
  
She smiled, though her eyes didn’t follow suit.  “Yes.”  
  
“I need to find…”  
  
“Sh,” his mother’s finger on his lips stopped Dean from finishing.  “I know, but you can’t talk about it.  I will let you go.  Go quickly, Dean.  We will see each other again someday, hopefully a very long time from now.”  
  
That was easy for her to say.  Cas had told him that there would be something to lead him to the God Scrolls when he arrived in Heaven, but all Dean saw were lines of different colors stretching from him in every which way.  Which one led to the God Scrolls?  He could feel Cas and Sam as well, all of their anxiety was pulling at him and it made it difficult to think of anything else.  Well, standing around wouldn’t help, so he started moving, looking for something that would lead him in the right direction.  
  
* Cas *  
  
Cas sat at the bedside staring at Dean’s pale, still form.  He wanted to do something to help.  “I should go to Heaven and try to help him.”  
  
“You said Heaven was dangerous for the baby.”  Sam had fought him on this more than he’d ever argued against anything.  Maybe he should have listened to Sam.  It was too late for that now.  What did it say about him that he was willing to gamble Dean’s life on this?  
  
“It is.”  
  
“Then you can’t go.  Besides you need to be here to put Dean back into his body.  I won’t let you go anywhere.”  
  
Cas looked across at Sam and saw haunted hazel eyes floating in front of him.  Dean had allowed Sam to do the one thing he wouldn’t allow Castiel, but Sam had waited and waited for Dean to even allow him another kiss.  Castiel wanted to be jealous but instead he was glad.  The brothers had finally connected and he didn’t want them to lose that.  He wouldn’t let Dean die permanently.  His eyes went to Dean’s body.  No, he couldn’t let things end here.  
  
“Maybe we should pull him back early,” Cas said.  
  
“No, he’d kill us.”  
  
* Dean *  
  
Dean had found an old friend who he hadn’t known was dead.  He’d discovered a treehouse that he’d built with Sam when he was ten and he found a rifle, the one Uncle Bobby had first taught him to shoot with.  Then he ran into an Angel and he thought he might be getting somewhere.  “You’re very yellow,” Dean said, staring at the endless seeming form.  
  
“Go back, this place is off limits for souls.”  The voice was strange but somehow Dean understood it.  
  
“Oh?  Well, I think I have a special permit.  See, this white line leads right from me into this place.”  Dean gestured at the line as he spoke.  
  
“Not all lines are meant to be followed,” the Angel replied.  
  
“Really?  Well, I’m thinking I’ll just keep going and you’ll have to stop me if you can.”  Dean walked and when the yellow form blocked him he tried walking right through it.  
  
“How dare you, Dean Winchester?”  
  
“It’s easy, I just do… whoever you are.”  
  
“I am the Archangel Michael and I command you to stop.”  
  
“Hm, let me think about it,” but Dean didn’t even pause, he was on a time limit, “No.”  To his mind he had the right trail and he needed to get to the end of it before his time was up.  
  
* Sam *  
  
Sam understood why Cas had insisted on Dean trying this, but he didn’t like it.  Dean finally gave in to him and he couldn’t lose him, he just couldn’t.  Of course he cared about their baby but Cas and Dean came first and he wasn’t ashamed of that.  It was just the way he felt.  He needed them more than anything.  
  
He checked the time and noticed that his hand was shaking.  “Ten seconds, Cas.”  
  
“I know,” was the rigid and perfectly controlled response.  Sam wasn’t fooled by the lack of emotion.  He knew Cas cared and this was hard on Cas too.  
  
“Five.”  
  
Cas nodded and put a hand on Dean.  Sam’s hand had never moved from his brother.  He could feel Dean’s soul out there.  He’d never felt anything like it.  
  
“Pull,” Cas said and together they pulled Dean back.  
  
* Dean *  
  
Dean had plodded forward through mud, a blizzard and now white hot flames.  He felt like his skin was burning into ash and falling to the ground in powdered heaps.  Ahead of him he saw a pile of scrolls and he jumped for them, gathering them into his searing arms.  The intensity of the pain was so great that he blacked out as he clung to them his last thought was that he must not let them go.  
  
Dean woke in as much pain as he’d been in when he’d passed out.  
  
“He’s on fire!”  Sam yelped, then Dean felt water pouring over him.  It was painful in a different way but then all of the pain started to recede.  
  
“It’s okay, Sam, I’ve got it.” Cas said.  
  
Dean opened his eyes.  Sam stood by the bed with the basin he’d filled with water to cool Cas much earlier, and Cas was running hands all over Dean.  It went from not painful to feeling quite good.  “I had the scrolls,” Dean said.  Had it been taken when he passed out?  
  
“You still do,” Cas smiled at him.  “You still do, now get some sleep Dean.  We’ll do the rest tomorrow.”  
  
* Dean *  
  
Dean woke to the sound of voices coming into the bedroom from the living room.  
  
“But it’s written all over his body Cas,” Sam said.  
  
“Yes, I hadn’t expected that,” Cas said.  
  
Dean moaned and stretched wondering what was written all over whose body.  He didn’t wonder for long.  “What the fuck?!”  It was everywhere, tiny print from his fingers to his toes, like the biggest tattoo in the world.  
  
Cas was there in an instant.  “It is the God Scrolls, Dean.”  
  
“Yeah, I kinda figured that.  How do we get them off?” Dean asked because he sure as Hell couldn’t go to work like this, could he?  
  
“I am not sure,” Cas said.  
  
Sam finally made it to the room, “I want to call Uncle Bobby, but Cas won’t let me.  I’m sure eventually he will though, and he’ll find a way to get it off.”  
  
“Yeah, great.”  
  
“More importantly I’ve managed to read most of it.”  Castiel was all business then, “If you could just roll over and let me see the back…”  
  
Dean shook his head and complied, nearly kicking Cas’ face when he pulled his butt cheeks apart to read better.  It wasn’t just embarrassing, it was also incredibly uncomfortable.  “Are you done yet,” Dean asked several minutes later.  
  
“Yes, I believe so!”  Cas was far too cheerful for Dean’s taste as he rolled over and got up, looking for clothes.  
  
“What all do I say?” Dean asked, but before Cas could answer there was a flutter and the three of them were no longer alone in the room.  
  
“Yes, brother, I must know the answer to that question as well,” Lucifer came towards Dean and Dean wished he was still carrying the holy oil he’d had earlier.  
  
“Back off, only one Angel has permission to read this scroll,” Dean said as he zipped his jeans closed.  Sam choked off some laughter and Dean shot him a quick glare.  The situation was not funny.  Well, maybe it was funny a little bit.  
  
“Fine, fine,” Lucifer put his hands up and backed off.  
  
“It says that the child will judge you,” Castiel said, “when it reaches the age of sixteen, until then you will reside on earth and visit the child’s home no more and no less than monthly.  You will have that time to allow the child to get to know you so it can make judgement on your status.  If you fail to visit as expected you will be returned to your cage.”  
  
Lucifer’s eyes narrowed, “Where does it say that, I want to read it.”  
  
“I am not lying,” Castiel looked at Dean contemplatively.  
  
“If it’s on my ass he can forget it,” Dean said.  There was no way he was putting up with that.  
  
“The part he wants is on your back.”  
  
“Fine,” Dean turned around and allowed Lucifer to read his back.  He was getting very tired of being a human scroll, very quickly.  
  
* Week 40 *  
  
Dean hated having to watch Cas convulsing in pain on the bed.  “He’s not growing any sort of hole there Uncle Bobby,” he nearly shouted into the phone.  “What do we do if that doesn’t happen?”  
  
“Well then you’ll have to cut it out, like I told you before,” Uncle Bobby said and Dean tossed the phone to the side.  
  
“What did he say?” Sam asked, then he picked up the phone when Dean ignored him.  “What did you tell him?”  
  
Dean located his knife and began sterilizing it.  He’d sharpened it recently just in case, but none of them knew how human Cas would be after the birth.  It was week 40 and Cas was more bound to his body then ever.  He couldn’t even fly anymore.  As he sterilized the knife, he heard Uncle Bobby reply to Sam.  
  
“I said he’ll have to cut it out.”  
  
“Isn’t it too soon?”  Sam switched the phone to speaker and set it on the side table, then he came over to Dean.  “I think it’s too soon, Dean.”  
  
Cas moaned again and Dean clenched his jaw.  “He’s in pain Sammy, too much pain.  We have to do something!”  
  
“Calm down, Dean,” Uncle Bobby’s voice was steadying and calm over the cell.  “Sam, go hold Cas’ hand or something.  See if he’s growing any parts for the delivery.”  
  
“I’ve already looked,” Dean said, annoyed.  What were the chances that baby was going to come out the same way it did for women?  
  
“I know boy, just let your brother have something to do.”  
  
That seemed a bit more sensible, so he ignored Sammy as he went over to Cas and took hold of his hand, then started examining his body.  
  
“Okay,” Dean went over to Cas, the blade was ready and he was pretty sure he understood what he had to do in order to not harm their baby.  “I sure as Hell hope this works better than that last spell we tried to remove the words from my body.”  
  
“This is biology and medicine.  It’s a whole other thing,” Uncle Bobby growled.  
  
“I still think we should wait a little longer,” Sam said, and he was twitching the way he did when he was scared.  
  
“Let’s ask Cas,” Dean said, knowing it was a bit cruel, but so annoyed with the delay he didn’t care.  “Cas, you want me to cut now or later?”  
  
“Now Dean!”  Cas demanded.  
  
“Right,” Dean swallowed down the wave of nervousness that hit him and steadied his hand.  “Cas says now.”  Then slowly, steadily and carefully he began to cut.  There was more blood and liquid then he knew the human body could contain.  Sam turned completely white before Dean lifted the baby from Cas’ body.  “Uh, Uncle Bobby, it’s still attached!”  Dean was totally panicking as he looked at the tiny, red, wrinkled thing.  “I… it’s breathing though.”  Dean knew that for sure as the thing in his hands was now screaming at the top of it’s lungs.  
  
“Ya have to cut the cord and tie it off, remember?”  Uncle Bobby said in a voice that implied eye rolling, “Idjit!”  
  
“Right,” Dean remembered then, everything they’d discussed and got back to work.  When he turned to stitch Cas back up he saw that Cas’ body was already looking pretty much its old self.  There was blood and tissue all around though.  
  
“Is it a girl or a boy dammit?”  Uncle Bobby suddenly demanded.  
  
“Oh, yeah,” Dean looked at the baby again as if he hadn’t just looked at it plenty, “It’s uh, a girl.”  He’d known that, of course he had.  Cas smiled at him.  
  
“So what’s your girl’s name?”  Uncle Bobby asked.  Dean looked at Sam who shrugged then looked at Cas who gave him a blank look and looked over at Dean.  “Idjits!”

  
  
* B *  
  
“Cassandra,” Sam suggested over breakfast as Dean was serving bacon and eggs.  Cas sat with the baby, feeding her a bottle.  
  
“Too long, too fancy,” Dean complained, “how about Jill?”  
  
“Boring,” Sam replied.  They had yet to find a name both of them liked and Castiel seemed content to just listen to them.  “What do you think Cas?”  
  
“I like them both,” Castiel said.  “Can I have a piece of bacon?”  
  
Castiel was back to not needing food, but he seemed to eat it more often these days.  During his pregnancy he’d gained a new appreciation for eating.  
  
“Sure,” Dean got a plate and served him a piece with a single egg.  Sam had noticed that Dean was still very considerate of Cas and pretty much showered him with attention.  It was sort of sweet though occasionally he felt odd pangs of jealousy.  Once they’d eaten Sam kissed all three goodbye and headed to class.  
  
It was the middle of Law class when suddenly with a brief flutter he had a baby on his desk.  Sam grabbed hold of her and cuddled her close, looking around.  Luckily, no one seemed to have noticed her sudden appearance.  As he left class several people commented about what a calm and well behaved baby he had.  Smiling he agreed that she was very calm, but he didn’t agree to the second part.  
  
* A *  
  
Dean was working under a pickup truck when he heard gurgling at his side.  He looked over and nearly banged his head.  “Not again, shit, come on.”  Gathering up the baby he carefully rolled out from under the truck.  
  
“Hey, Winchester, you can’t have your baby in here.  You know this is no place for her.”  It figured his boss would notice right away.  
  
“Yeah, boss, tell her that,” Dean said, pulling out his cell to call Cas.  
  
“Hey, have you named her yet?”  
  
“No, but I’ve got some new ideas,” Dean said as he considered names like Tricksy and Pain-in-my-Ass.

  
  
* B *  
  
“I don’t know what to do,” Castiel said defensively.  “I watch her carefully all day long, and tend her every demand but as soon as I shut my eyes to take a nap or look away for an instant she’s gone.”  
  
“Someone is going to see her just appear one of these days,” Sam said.  “Then we’ll have a real mess.”  
  
“My boss is gonna fire me if she’s in the garage one more time.  He thinks I’m a real shitty father.  Between that and my many worded body length tattoo I can’t really blame him,” Dean said.  
  
“I do have some good news though,” Castiel announced, hoping it might please them enough that they would calm down for a little while at least.  
  
“What?” both brothers asked.  
  
“I have come up with a name, Nomatha.  It means big surprise.”  Castiel grinned at them.  He thought the name was pretty much perfect.  
  
“Nomatha?” Dean asked.  “Can I call her Nom for short?”  
  
“Yes,” Castiel agreed.  Dean always needed to come up with nick names.  
  
“It’s pretty Cas, how did you come up with it?” Sam asked.  
  
“I found it on the internet,” he was proud of that too.  Cas had decided to get his own laptop more recently and was finding it immensely useful.  
  
Sam nodded, “I’ll call Uncle Bobby and let him know.  Maybe he can help us with her disappearing act too.”  
  
“I wouldn’t hold my breath,” Dean said but all of them knew that he was just bitter about still being the God Scrolls.  Just then Nomatha appeared in the middle of the table crying.  
  
Cas wrinkled his nose, “I believe she needs her diaper changed.”  
  
“I’ve got it,” Dean said picking her up with a grin.  “We need to discuss her habit of showing up at work anyhow, don’t we Nom?  I think we do.”  
  
* Y *  
  
There was one thing still on Cas’ mind.  Although both Dean and Sam shared the bed with him the three of them hadn’t actually had sex at the same time.  It wasn’t like there weren’t opportunities, but both Sam and Dean seemed content to take turns with him one of them always suddenly having something to do.  Now that Nomatha was named and things had settled down a bit, he was ready to confront that.  Tonight he wanted them both, together in bed with him for sex not just to sleep.  
  
He carefully tucked Nomatha in.  She’d had food and her diaper had been changed recently.  She was fast asleep, so she should stay put.  He really hoped she stayed put.  Turning away, he saw Sam in the doorway.  “Where’s Dean?”  
  
"Taking a shower," Sam looked over at Nomatha and smiled.  "Is she out?"  
  
“Yes, I believe so.”  Cas glanced back, but he didn’t see any movement.  He moved closer to Sam, looked up at him and leaned in to kiss him.  He had never imagined he could have a life as blessed as this one.  A part of him worried that it could be taken away in an instant but he didn’t allow that to keep him from enjoying it.  
  
Sam slipped his arms around Cas easily and pulled him close, opening his mouth, his tongue sweeping across Cas'.  
  
That was nice.  Cas lingered in it for a time, enjoying Sam’s body pressed against him.  When the kiss ended he pulled back a bit.  “I want you both tonight, at the same time.  I mean it.”  
  
"Oh."  Sam looked into Cas' eyes and licked his lips.  "I'm fine with that Cas, but... you know Dean's the one who really needs convincing.  I'll see what I can do to help with that."  He kissed Cas lightly.  
  
“Yes, I know he’s the one being difficult but you’ve been allowing it.”  Cas tilted his head.  He’d been wondering about that.  “Have you two been together since the balcony?”  
  
With a sigh, Sam shook his head.  "No Cas, we haven't.  I've tried to talk to him about it, but you know how difficult Dean can be."  
  
"Yes," Castiel agreed, then he heard the bathroom door open and Dean walked into the hallway.  
  
"What are you two whispering about?"  
  
"How best to get you between us," Sam said, voice even, eyes completely focused on Dean.  
  
Dean gave an uncomfortable chuckle.  “I thought Cas liked to be in the middle.”  
  
“We’re talking about sex, Dean, not sleeping,” Cas said.  He wasn’t sure if Dean was pretending not to know that or if he really didn’t.  He still didn’t feel confident about that sort of thing.  
  
“I, uh, thought I’d watch the news before bed,” Dean edged toward the living room.  
  
Sam slipped out of Cas' arms super quick and stepped in front of Dean.  "Not tonight.  Nothing interesting on anyway.  Tonight we get you, in bed, with us, no clothes on."  There was a firm set to Sam's jaw as he stared down his brother, and Dean caught his breath, his eyes on Sam.  
  
Cas was incredibly grateful for that.  He moved to Dean as well.  Taking his hand he pulled him gently towards the bedroom.  “You know you can’t avoid it forever.  Sam and I both want you, and it isn’t fair to force us into pairs when we all want each other.”  
  
Dean turned to Cas and frowned.  “I’m not trying to force us into pairs.”  
  
“What would you call it?” Castiel asked.  
  
“Coincidence?”  
  
"Do you know what I call it?" Sam raised his eyebrows.  "Bullshit."    
  
Sam took Dean's other hand and helped Cas drag him to the bedroom.  Dean needed a bit of dragging.  He actually stopped in the doorway to babble about the news again.  “So I really need to watch it, just in case they report on that car.  I’m not making it up.”  
  
Cas tilted his head.  “I will set it up to tape.”    
  
Since having Nomatha his powers had steadily recharged.  It was as if his rank had raised without notification and he no longer needed to visit Heaven to recharge.  Setting the tv to record was a simple matter that he did without moving.  “There, it’s set.”    
  
Cas tugged gently at the stock still Dean and wondered if he would have to be more forceful.  Shaking his head, Sam grabbed hold of Dean's shoulders and pushed him inside, not the least bit gently.    
  
"Stop acting like a child Dean," Sam said.  "We're all adults here and we already agreed we wanted each other.  It's past time we spent time together."  
  
Dean took a deep breath and looked back at Sam who was closing the door.  He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out.    
  
Castiel moved close and put his arms around Dean.  He leaned his head on Dean’s shoulder.  “Isn’t there any part of you at all that wants to know what it would be like?  The three of us at the same time?”  He knew he wanted to know, very badly and he couldn’t imagine that Dean never thought about it, never wondered.  
  
Dean turned his head back, wrapping his arms around Cas and holding onto him tightly.  “I don’t know.”  
  
"It's okay to be afraid Dean," Sam locked the bedroom door and turned back to the two of them.  "But you're the one who always used to tell me to face my fears."  
  
“This isn’t like that!”  
  
Cas thought Dean was protesting a bit too loudly, especially since he was pretty sure Sam was right about Dean being afraid.  
  
"This isn't like what?" Sam asked, raising his eyebrows.  "You aren't afraid, or you aren't avoiding?"  
  
“It isn’t like those times when I told you to face your fears.  I’m not… well I am but…” Dean’s eyes begged Sam for an out, like somehow Sam could give him that.  
  
Sam took the last few steps towards Dean and kissed him.  He wrapped his arms around Dean and held him close, his arms encompassing Cas as well, from the side.  
  
Cas watched the two of them by turning his head but continued resting it on Dean’s shoulder.  These were his boyfriends, and they had agreed he could have them both.  All he needed to do was prove to Dean that the relationship really was okay.  He’d tried waiting and being patient.  He hoped this would work better than that had.  
  
Finally, Sam moved away from Dean and then he turned and kissed Cas, lightly at first, deeper after a moment.  Cas closed his eyes and tried to memorize that feeling, in case he lost all of this in the future.  Sam and Dean, both so close, Sam’s tongue in his mouth, his own slipping against it.  It all felt so warm, so good and at least for the moment Dean wasn’t trying to run away.  
  
Sam's hand slipped down Cas' body and lightly squeezed Cas' ass.  He pulled away then and smirked.  "I'm ready for more," he said softly, looking at Dean.  "But I think we need less clothes."  
  
“I can take care of that,” Cas offered, but he looked at Dean.  “If you don’t mind.”  Dean seemed to enjoy having his clothes taken off in the slower way.  He caught Dean’s green eyes and smiled at the look there.  Somehow things had improved.  Dean wanted them.  
  
“I…” Dean started but Cas stopped him.  
  
“No, never mind,” Cas said, pulling away and dropping to his knees to pull down Dean’s sweatpants.  “Can you get his shirt, Sam?”  
  
"Yeah," Sam said with a smile, hands slipping under the fabric to pull it up and off.  His fingers slid across Dean's chest as he did so.  "I love taking Dean's clothes off."  
  
Cas thought he saw Dean flush a bit at that statement, then he was busy getting the pants the rest of the way off.  Dean’s skin was still a bit damp from his shower and it smelled clean.  Castiel found that made him even more excited.  On his way up from getting the pants off he paused to lick Dean’s hard cock.  It hardened further under the attention.  
  
Dean reached out and started unbuttoning Sam’s shirt, moaning softly when Castiel licked him.  
  
Sam’s hand fell on Castiel's head, fingers lightly threading into his hair.  He tossed the shirt on the ground with his other hand and then stroked down Dean's chest, fingers swirling around a nipple.  
  
"Mm, Sammy... Cas," Dean moaned, his attention shifting between them as he wrestled a bit with Sam's shirt to get it off.  
  
Cas moved a bit and began taking off Sam's jeans and underwear.  He felt a bit guilty for being the only one not getting naked, so he removed his own clothes with a thought.  
  
"Cas," Sam breathed, smiling down at Cas.  He let go of both of them so he could get his shirt off and stepped out of his jeans and underwear.  "Let's take this to the bed."    
  
Sam was tugging Dean to the bed again.  Dean followed easily this time.  Castiel watched that for a few moments in wonder, before he stood and went to join them.  It seemed like it was just a matter of getting Dean past a single barrier.  It was a very tall, thick barrier, but now that they were past it Dean was cooperating easily and offering no further protest.  Cas sat on the opposite side of Dean from Sam and began kissing down his arm.  
  
"Yeah, Dean," Sam murmured, kissing down the other side of Dean's chest.  He looked up at Cas and caught his gaze.  "Can we share?" he asked, flicking his gaze down to Dean's dick and then back to Cas.  
  
Cas smiled at Sam.  He knew what Dean’s dick was like, hot, hard, freshly bathed.  It would taste so good.  He wanted Sam to have it this time.  Sam was a big reason they had Dean for the moment.  “You go ahead.  We’ll share next time,” he said, moving up to kiss Dean’s lips.  
  
“I’m not…” Dean began to protest but then Cas was occupying his mouth so he couldn’t say more.  It didn’t seem to bother Dean, he returned Cas’ kisses with equal desire.  
  
"Thanks Cas.  I'm looking forward to it," Sam said, then he was kissing the rest of the way down and licking along the side of Dean's dick.  "And I'm looking forward to this."  Sam kissed up to the tip and then opened his mouth and sucked the head into it.  
  
Dean moaned into Cas’ mouth and Cas smiled, but he didn’t stop kissing.  It felt so good, knowing that Sam would take care of driving Dean crazy and he could just enjoy the results.  He pressed Dean back onto the bed, so he was lying down, making it easier for Cas to stay out of Sam’s way.  
  
Humming in pleasure, Sam pressed Dean's dick deep into his throat, one hand slipping under to lightly rub Dean's balls.  His tongue flicked out and licked the underside, then he brought his head up, allowing his tongue to slide up slowly.  Looking up at Cas, he smirked and then winked, bobbing his head down again.  
  
Yes, Cas was very glad that it was the three of them.  He thought they worked rather well together.  Pulling out of the kiss for a time he sprinkled kisses lightly down Dean’s neck.  Then he pressed his lips against Dean’s ear and whispered, “I want inside you.”  
  
Dean tensed for a moment, “Cas,” he moaned and while it sounded like a complaint it didn’t sound like a no.  
  
Cas  backed away and caught Dean’s bright green eyes, holding them.  He was certain he saw desire there, mixed with uncertainty.  
  
Sam sucked a bit harder for a moment, then brought his head up and off of Dean completely.  "Is it time?" he asked, fingers moving away from Dean's balls and to his thigh, pulling Dean's legs a little more open.  
  
“Hm?” Cas looked down at Sam then, “There’s no rush.”  He trailed a hand over Dean’s chest.  
  
Instantly, Sam's mouth was back on Dean's dick, sucking it down again.  He moved so he could press his own dick against Dean's side.  Once his face was nestled against Dean's skin, he swallowed before slowly moving his head back up.  
  
Cas shifted down Dean far enough to reach Sam's ass, which he rubbed and squeezed for a while as he watched.  
  
"Hmm," Sam murmured in appreciation, pushing his dick against Dean.  He moved his head up and down quicker then, a little desperately as he swallowed around Dean.  
  
From touching Sam to kissing Dean Cas shifted back and forth a few times until he felt Dean clench and pulled back to watch Sam swallowing down Dean’s come.  It didn’t matter that Dean had come, Cas knew he would get hard again, soon enough.  
  
Once Sam had swallowed every bit, he slowly pulled his head off, licking and sucking at Dean's dick, as though determined to get every drop.  "I love this," Sam breathed against Dean's skin.  
  
“The two of you should be together more often,” Cas murmured as he kissed down Dean between the words.  “It’s wonderful to watch.”  He paused to kiss Sam for a while when he got to him.  
  
"Yeah," Sam said, opening his mouth and kissing Cas back.  Slipping his tongue out to swipe across Cas' lips, he let it slide inside Cas' mouth and he shifted so he could get closer, deepen the kiss.  
  
Dean didn’t say anything but Cas could almost feel him watching them.  After a time he pulled away, slicked Dean’s hole up with lube and slowly worked in a finger.  He took his time.  He’d never been inside of Dean but he’d been in Sam.  Sam was a lot more open with him about sex and they had tried all sorts of things, things Cas wasn’t sure he would ever dare to ask Dean to try.  The internet was full of ideas and whipped cream wasn’t really as fun as it looked.  
  
At any rate he took his time, because he didn’t want to rush Dean.  
  
Eyes watched Cas, and then Sam kissed up Dean's body, moving so he could wrap his legs around one of Dean's legs, holding it open for Cas, dick pressed into Dean's hip.  He sucked at Dean's shoulder, then neck, then kissed Dean, slipping his tongue into Dean's mouth.  
  
Cas watched the two of them as he stretched Dean, wondering if that was how he'd looked earlier, like Sam.  It was very hot.  Once he thought Dean could take him easily he moved to position himself, running a hand over Sam's leg as he lifted Dean's other leg to make it easier to press in.  
  
Sam stopped kissing Dean long enough to look down at Cas.  He licked his lips and smiled.  "You look fantastic," he said, hand running down Dean's chest.  
  
“That’s what I was thinking about the two of you,” Cas replied, smiling back.  
  
“Both of you are crazy, I’ve got Enochian all over me for fuck’s sake,” Dean said.  “I don’t know how you still want me.”  
  
Cas had been over that with Dean multiple times in the past so he didn’t answer, giving Sam a chance to say something before pushing into Dean.  
  
"Because the writing isn't what makes you beautiful and sexy Dean, duh," Sam said, rolling his eyes. "You make you beautiful and sexy."  
  
Cas nodded and then pushed into Dean.  It felt very good, especially good, perhaps because Dean had always been so resistant.  He didn’t need to tell Dean again that the writing didn’t matter, wasn’t something Castiel really noticed anymore.  He still saw Dean, Dean whose eyes were widening and filling with pleasure, Dean who he was so in love with it sometimes hurt.  
  
"Oh god Dean," Sam whispered, hand traveling down to tweek a nipple.  "See, that look right there is just amazing."  He kissed Dean's cheek, down his jaw, and sucked at Dean's neck.  
  
Sam was right.  Castiel found he often agreed with Sam when it came to Dean.  Setting any sort of pace was hard for him once he was inside Dean.  He found that each time he moved he lost his mind a little.  “Mm, Dean,” Cas moaned pressing into him faster, then trying to slow down.  If he wasn’t careful it would be over in an instant for him.  
  
Sam’s hand went from Dean’s nipple down Dean's chest and then lightly stroked Dean's dick.  "Yeah Cas," Sam said, looking at Cas, eyes bright.  "Go ahead, lose yourself in him."  
  
Should he?  Would Dean come again this soon?  Could he?  “I…” he glanced at Sam, uncertain but then his eyes returned to Dean.  Yeah, Sam was right, it would work out because all three of them were there and no one would stop until everyone had fully enjoyed themselves.  He let go, pushing into Dean wildly much like Dean always was with him.  In hardly any time his body shook as he came inside of Dean’s tight, hot hole.  Dean was only moments behind him, hot come spraying over Sam’s hand.  
  
"Yeah," Sam moaned, sitting up so he could kiss Cas, tongue slipping into his mouth several times.  Cas kissed back, arms going around Sam, still inside Dean.  He’d known that being with both of them would be amazing, and it was.  
  
Dean was still for a while and Cas could feel his eyes on them.  Then he said, “You should fuck him Sammy.  You’re so hard it looks painful.”  
  
Sam pulled back and licked his lips.  "What do you think Cas?"  Sam’s hand trailed down Cas' body.  "Should I?"  
  
He hadn’t been expecting that, but Dean had already come twice and probably wasn’t ready to go again yet.  While he was content, Cas thought he would always be ready for either brother if they wanted him.  “Yes,” he said, “you should.”  
  
A slow groan slipped out of Sam and he untangled himself from Dean, moving around behind Cas.  "I'm so lucky," Sam whispered, kissing across Cas' shoulder, then down his spine.  He reached for the lube and popped it open, a finger slipping inside Cas a moment later.  
  
Cas loved that feeling, he wasn’t sure he had a favorite position, top or bottom as people called it.  Dean shifted then and moved out from under him, Cas’ dick slipping from warmth into the cooler air.  That was less pleasant, and a disappointed noise escaped him.  
  
Sam added a second finger then, and sucked at Cas' shoulder.  "I hate that part too," he said softly, reaching a hand around to stroke Cas' chest.  "It always feels so good inside."  
  
“Yes,” Cas agreed, thinking that Sam inside of him would feel good.  He tried to relax so that Sam would slip inside of him sooner.  Sam always made him feel so full.  It was a nice sort of overwhelming.  Already, he felt his body starting to take renewed interest.  As he’d thought it would.  With a moan, Sam added a third finger.  
  
"Ready Cas?" Sam kissed Cas on the back again, fingers sliding out.  A little time passed then Sam’s hand wrapped around Cas' hip.  
  
Cas looked at Dean and saw that he was watching them intently.  He’d thought Dean might be and when he didn’t answer right away Dean spoke for him.  “Of course he is Sammy, don’t tease.”  
  
Cas could feel Sam's lips curving up in a smile against his back, and then Sam was pushing in.  It was slow at first, easy and gentle, but as he got deeper, he also got a bit fast.  "Cas," Sam hissed out, once he was fully inside, fingers clutching at Cas' hips and trembling.  
  
“Sam,” Cas replied, pushing against Sam a bit to make it clear that Sam was very welcome there inside of him.  There was a slight burning and he ached for more.  It was actually a little dangerous for the three of them to be together like this.  There could be another child, eventually.  He didn’t think it would happen any time soon though.  It was so rare in the first place.  
  
"Yeah Cas," Sam said, and then he started moving.  Gentle strokes in and out, getting used to the angle, speeding up quickly, deep thrusts that made Sam's balls slap up against Cas.  "Cas, Cas," Sam breathed, one hand leaving his hip to wrap around Cas' dick, stroking him in time to Sam's thrusts.  
  
“Sam,” Cas replied, several times, until Dean moved in and started touching his chest, his nipples.  He felt himself so close again, then his whole body clenched and he was coming, feeling every inch of Sam buried deep inside of him.  
  
"Cas!" Sam cried out as Cas squeezed around him.  He was coming himself a moment later, thrusting deep and spilling into Cas, hands clenching at Cas, holding him close.  
  
Cas could feel Dean smiling against his lips before he pulled out of the kiss.  “Yeah,” Dean said, his hand gently trailing over both of their bodies.  “Maybe, maybe this is okay, the three of us.”  He sounded a little hesitant but also awestruck.  
  
"Yeah Dean," Sam breathed, carefully sliding out of Cas.  "Its amazing with all three of us."  
  
Cas moaned at the loss of Sam inside him and took hold of Dean curling against him to make up for the loss.  “Sam, hold me?”  He loved being pressed between them, often wondered if he was too greedy wanting it all the time.  On the other hand neither brother had tried to claim the middle on the bed, ever.  
  
"Yeah," Sam said with a grin, sliding over and wrapping his arms around Cas and Dean.  "Anytime Cas, anytime."  
  
Cas sighed, warmth filling his body as well as his heart and relaxed.  Then he felt an odd pressure on top of him and heard a happy, familiar gurgle.  
  
“Hello, Nom,” Dean murmured, tightening his arms around Cas.  
  
"Nom, aren't you supposed to be in bed, asleep?" Sam mumbled, before sighing and looking up at their daughter.  
  
“I believe she sleeps in one hour cycles,” Castiel said.  He glared at Nomatha.  “I asked you to stay in bed.”  
  
“Discipline is going to be a nightmare,” Dean said.  “We can’t ever ground her.  I vote for spankings.”  
  
"Dean," Sam's voice had a warning tone.  "I don't think she should be spanked.  Time outs work just fine."  
  
“Isn’t it a little early for this?” Cas asked, “She isn’t old enough for either one.”  He didn’t want to get up and he didn’t want anyone else to get up either.  “Maybe we can just leave her there?”  
  
"Nom?" Sam said, lifting a hand to lightly tweak Nom's nose.  "You stay here and sleep?"  
  
“Mmm,” Nomatha replied, wiggling, then, “ahhh.”  Which was about as close to a reply as anyone was going to get.  
  
“If we move wrong she’ll probably just move herself,” Cas said.  
  
“Good enough for me,” Dean looked over at Sam, “you okay with it?”  
  
With a sigh and a nod, Sam cuddled close to Cas again.  "Yeah," he said.  "Sure."  
  
The four of them fell asleep then and no one was disturbed, for at least an hour.

  
  
~~~~~  
  


 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I am considering writing a sequel. If you're interested please comment so I know if people will actually read it or not. It will help me decide whether to write it. :)


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